This flavorful soup of roasted eggplant and tomatoes is packed with umami, and it's gluten free and vegan. Tips are included in the post, with photos, on how to roast and peel eggplant, and remove the strands of seeds. Using the tips, this soup is moderately easy to make.
This is one of my favorite soup recipes, and I make it often in the late summer and early fall. Even eggplant haters will love this soup, and it you make it ahead, the flavors are even better.
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Culinary school not only taught me technique, but also exposed me to new foods. Or in the case of this vegan eggplant soup, new ways of preparing foods that I was absolutely certain I didn't like.
I learned that eggplant, when combined with tomatoes, is nothing short of delicious. It adds depth and additional umami to the tomato. And the tomato adds body and pizzazz to the eggplant.
For some great examples of this flavor combination, check out these other eggplant recipes:
- Eggplant Parmesan Casserole made with pesto,
- Sicilian Pasta, and
- Moroccan Chickpea Stew that I modified from one of my many Ottolenghi cookbooks.
🍆 Is eggplant bad for you?
For some people, the answer is yes. Eggplant is part of the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers and tomatillos.
Nightshades contain alkaloids, including solanine, which can be toxic. While bad effects of eating nightshades have not been proven, if you suffer from an auto-immune condition, ask your physician if you can ingest nightshades.
🍆 Is eggplant good for you?
But eggplant have a lot of nutritional benefits, as well. So if you're not sensitive to vegetables in the nightshade family, they can be good for you. For example:
- Eggplant provides a beneficial amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals while only containing a few calories.
- They are high in antioxidants.
- Its fiber content supports digestive health.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions for this eggplant soup recipe, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Eggplant - either globe and Italian eggplant work great in this soup.
- Tomato - any kind of medium sized tomato is perfect.
- Onion - I prefer yellow onion, but white onion is also fine. Steer away from red onions when making this vegan eggplant soup.
- Garlic
- Fresh herbs - I use a combination of oregano and thyme from my garden. Marjoram works great too.
- Spices - cumin and a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Vegetable Broth or Vegetable Stock- I use Better Than Bouillon vegan pastes. To use these pastes, measure 1 teaspoon of bouillon for every cup of water added to the soup. NOTE: If you use a sodium-free broth in this vegan eggplant soup, you may need to add additional salt at the end.
- Balsamic vinegar - this is a great way to add a little extra savory umami oomph. The amount is small so feel free to use whatever balsamic vinegar you have on hand.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping soooo much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Baking sheet
- Chef's knife
- Small paring knife
- Heavy bottomed pot, such as a Le Creuset (or other large soup pot)
- High speed blender, or food processor
📝 How to roast and peel eggplant
This eggplant soup is very easy to make, but if eggplant is a vegetable you've not worked with before, here's the best way to roast and peel it, and then remove the seeds, along with tips.
How to roast eggplant
Either roast the eggplant whole on a baking sheet in a preheated 400˚F oven, or slice each eggplant in half lengthwise, and roast them with their cut sides facing down on a baking sheet.
Slicing them in half reduces the roasting time, but the eggplant surface resting on the baking sheet becomes dry and tough. Slice it off after the roasting is complete.
How do you know when eggplant roasting is complete?
The eggplant are done roasting when the skin darkens and becomes all wrinkly. The eggplant skin will feel hollow to the touch, and easily press in on the meat inside. The meat of the eggplant will feel soft when the skin is pressed in.
How to peel eggplant and remove the seeds
Step 1. When the eggplant are cool enough to handle, slice off the top of each, and and cut in half, lengthwise. A chef's knife is ideal for this.
Step 2. Starting at the bottom rounded edge where it's easiest to separate the skin from the meat, slip the point of a knife between the skin and flesh, and tease the skin away.
A paring knife works very well for this, or a curved Bird's Beak Knife if you have one.
Step 3. Discard the skins.
Step 4. Nudge the ropes of seeds away from the meat of the eggplant using both your fingers and a paring knife. Be sure to pull the eggplant completely open to get at all the ropes. Many of the strands of seeds hide in layers of the meat.
Don't be concerned if stray seeds remain. It's unavoidable.
Take the remaining meat and coarsely chop.
🧊 Best Way to Store Roasted Eggplant Soup
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator: Allow the soup to completely cool to room temperature, and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 - 5 days.
- To freeze: Allow the soup to completely cool to room temperature, and place in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to one month.
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Vegan Roasted Eggplant Soup with Tomatoes
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Small paring knife
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot (or other similar large pot)
- high speed blender (or food processor)
Ingredients
- 2 large eggplant
- 1 medium tomato
- 3 cups chopped yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves peeled and smashed
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon sea salt)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- 3 cups vegetable broth, divided (or 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouilllon roasted vegetable paste)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Leaving the eggplant whole, score each of them 3 - 4 times using a sharp knife, and lay them on the prepared baking sheet. Form a small tray out of foil to hold the tomato, and place it beside the eggplant. Slice the tomato in half across its width. Place the two halves in the foil tray, with their cut sides facing up.
- Roast for 20 - 30 minutes, or until the skin on the tomato loosens. Remove the foil tray holding the tomato halves from sheet pan, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Continue roasting the eggplant for another 45 minutes to one hour. The eggplant are done when they feel soft and hollow to the touch. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Meal Prep Tip: Chop the onions, garlic and herbs while the eggplants roast. Also, gather all the remaining ingredients, and begin sautéing the onions as described in the next step.
- Place a heavy bottomed pot, such as a Le Creuset, or other large pot, on the stovetop over medium heat, and add the oil and chopped onions. Sauté until completely softened, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
- Add the garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, cumin, and cayenne. Sauté for another 5 minutes until aromatic.
- Slide the peels from the tomato halves, coarsely chop the tomatoes, and add to the pot, including any juices. Peel and seed the eggplants. Read the section in the post on the best way to perform this step. Photos are included. Chop the eggplant meat and add to the pot.
- Add two of the cups of vegetable broth, reserving the third cup. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.If you use Better Than Bouillon roasted vegetable paste, add 2 cups of water to the pot with 2 teaspoons of the paste.
- Pour the soup into the container of a high speed blender, and purée until completely smooth. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the balsamic vinegar. If the soup is too thick, stir in the remaining vegetable broth (or 1 cup of water plus 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Vegetable Paste), and correct for seasoning.
Cynthia
Divine, Susan! Bookmarked.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much! I'd love to get together for a coffee or tea - socially distanced of course.