Spanish Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup Recipe
A thick, aromatic soup made from roasted eggplant and tomatoes with garlic and olive oil tastes like a tomato cream soup with a light accent of roasted vegetables. In Spanish homes, soups like this often appear in autumn, when evenings get cooler but tomatoes are still sweet. It’s a great way to use eggplants that have wilted a bit but are still full of flavor.
Roasting the vegetables first deepens their flavor and gives the soup a natural sweetness and smokiness, reminiscent of Spanish home cooking. It’s simple to prepare yet tastes like a long-simmered restaurant-style cream soup.
Chef's tips
Roast the vegetables until the eggplant is almost collapsing – this guarantees a silky texture without needing much cream. If your tomatoes are very acidic, balance the flavor with a pinch of sugar or a drizzle of good-quality olive oil when blending.
How to serve
Serve in warmed bowls, topped with a swirl of yogurt or cream, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a few fresh thyme leaves or chopped parsley. Pair with crusty bread, garlic toast, or a simple green salad.
Ingredients
- eggplant medium, cut in half lengthwise - 2 pieces
- tomatoes medium, cut into halves - 5 pieces
- onion cut into quarters - 1 piece
- garlic in skins - 5 cloves
- vegetable stock hot - 800 ml
- olive oil - 4 tablespoons
- smoked sweet paprika - 1 teaspoon
- dried thyme - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- thick plain yogurt for serving, optional - 4 tablespoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 210°C (top and bottom heat). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Place the eggplant halves skin-side down, the tomatoes cut-side up, and add the onion quarters and garlic cloves in their skins alongside.
- Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and thyme. Place in the oven for 30–35 minutes, until the eggplants are very soft and the tomatoes and onion are lightly browned.
- Remove the tray from the oven. Squeeze the garlic out of the skins into a pot. Scoop out the flesh of the eggplants with a spoon, discarding the skin, and add to the pot together with the roasted tomatoes and onion.
- Pour the hot stock over the vegetables, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Remove the pot from the heat and blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. If it is too thick, add a little water or stock. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the soup hot, drizzled with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and with a dollop of plain yogurt, if you like.
Storage
Zupę przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku, a przed podaniem dobrze podgrzej; nadaje się do mrożenia do 2 miesięcy bez dodatku jogurtu.
