Milanese vegetable soup

4 cups of chicken stock
          1/2 eggplant
          1 stick celery
          2 strips of bacon
          1 chard leaf
          1/2 zucchini
          1 carrot
          1 onion
          10 basil leaves
          salt and pepper to taste
      Bring stock to a boil, cut vegetables (not basil) and the bacon  into
 small cubes.  Add vegetables to the stock and simmer gently for 15
 minutes. Add bacon cubes to the soup for the last 8 minutes of cooking
 time. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Cut basil
 leaves into thin strips and add these to soup just before serving.
 
 VARIATION: Add any other vegetales you have to this soup.