Vegan Roasted Eggplant Soup with Tomatoes

Two bowls of roasted eggplant soup pureed with a tomato, along with two spoons.

Vegan Roasted Eggplant Soup with Tomatoes

A flavor-packed soup of roasted eggplant and tomatoes packed with umami. Tips are included in the above 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. (The cooking time reflects performing several steps while the eggplant roasts.)

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword roasted eggplant soup, vegan eggplant soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 190.4kcal

Author Susan Pridmore

Equipment

a sturdy baking sheet
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.

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