Have we kicked off soup season yet? I’ve had requests both from you, dear readers, and from my own tummy that soup needs to be on, and since temps are finally starting to dip a little (yay, fall!), and enough to get me in the mood, I was ready to oblige. Here I present this roasted tomato and eggplant soup.
Lately my life has left me with nothing but time to waste; to read; to putz in the kitchen, work out and watch too many hours of TV. As the monthly dial switches next week (October, whaaa?), my life is going to get much busier, so it’s great to have these sorts of easy throw together meal options in the back of my mind when I’m starting to lose it.
This soup is a standby in my house, and has been for years, and it’s great because it involves minimal hands-on time in the kitchen, which means I can set it and forget it. The bulk of the time comes from roasting the eggplant and tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes are good, but canned tomatoes are just as, so this recipe is truly a recipe for all seasons. I’ve made it with both, but I’m being honest make it with canned the majority of the time.
If you don’t have time to do this all in one swoop, roast it one day and cook the soup the next. There’s a breakdown for your meal prep! Eliminate the eggplant, double the tomatoes and you’ve got yourself an easy pantry meal. Perfect to accompany a grilled cheese sandwich.
Garnish with crumbled tangy goat cheese (don’t like goat? Feta is fine), a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley to keep the brightness alive.
Because as we head into darker days (and darker times?), we’ll take all the brightness we can get. Right?
Side note: If you need some brightness RIGHT NOW, go see Downton Abbey! All the feels.
Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup
Roasted tomato and eggplant soup bring together the best of summer and translates it to fall, filling and creamy, garnished with tangy goat cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced in half
- 4 TB olive oil
- 2 tsp Greek oregano
- 1 TB crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 cups vegetable stock (low-sodium, if store bought)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- goat cheese, to garnish
- chopped parsley, to garnish
- lemon slices, to garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Step 2 Pour the can of tomatoes and its juices into a large roasting pan. Nestle the eggplant halves in between the tomatoes. Pour the olive oil over everything, and add the oregano, spices, black pepper and salt. Roast for 1 hour or until the eggplant is soft.
- Step 3 Add the tomatoes/eggplant mixture to a stock pot. Add the vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook about 30 minutes. Using a blender or immersion blender, puree until smooth.
- Step 4 Garnish with parsley, lemon and goat cheese as desired.
