Tomato, bean and sausage soup

I have made this soup forever. It is quick and easy to make with canned staples and tastes good for a night when you want a hearty meal with lots of taste but cannot really be bpothered with lots of cooking. Most of the ingredients are replacable for other variations. Try chorizo (if only i could get it here), some mushrooms, chickpeas, basil; there are any number of yummy possibilities.

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
half a carrot, diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
1 japanese eggplant, diced
3 gourmet sausages, i used Merguez this time, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 can of brown lentils (it would be better to soak them overnight and pre cook but i can rarely be this organised)
1 can of cannellini beans, or other bean (ditto above)
2 cans of peeled chopped tomatoes
170g (or thereabouts) can of tomato paste (things come in weird sizes here)
1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
tabasco

Fry up onion and garlic in a heavy bottomed pot till transparent. Add carrot, celery and eggplant and sweat until soft. Add sausages and cook through. Then add all other ingredients (except tabasco and spinch) and about 800mL water. Simmer on lowish heat for about 20-30min. Add tabasco, spinch, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a crusty french baguette.

This makes enough for about 6-8 peeps. Or it freezes well for later.