Easy Ratatouille Soup
1 pound tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 pound zucchini, thickly sliced
1 pound eggplant, thickly sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 small bunch fresh parsley and/or basil, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly chopped parsley or basil for garnish
Using a medium stockpot, make layers, starting with the eggplant, and then the tomatoes, and finally the zucchini. Add garlic cloves and parsley sprigs between the layers. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat until the pot is filled almost to the brim. Cover and cook over very low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 2 to 2˝ hours. Cool 20 minutes before serving. Ladle into soup bowls, correct the seasoning, if necessary and add a drizzle of olive oil and lots of freshly chopped parsley or basil or both.
Serves 4.
Adapted from “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” Mireille Guiliano, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2005.