Smoky take on classic soup
One of my favorite food memories revolves around tomato soup. My grandmother used to pick me up from school on rainy days and take me to her house, where she had cream of tomato soup and an egg salad sandwich waiting for me.
This take on that memory includes eggplant, which gives this rustic tomato soup an added creaminess and thicker texture. The vegetable is also a popular companion to tomatoes in dishes served across the globe.
The canned fire-roasted tomatoes impart a delicious, smoky flavor. And the
FIRE-ROASTED TOMATO AND EGGPLANT SOUP
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped pound peeled and diced eggplant (about medium or 3 Japanese eggplants)
Salt and white pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice
cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup milk or half-and-half
cup croutons, preferably cheese or garlic, for garnish
Basil leaves, for garnish
1. In a medium soup pot, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the addition of milk smoothes out the acidity and marries all the flavors. Sometimes, I’ll crumble fresh goat cheese or dollop some sour cream on top just before serving.
Fire-roasted tomatoes are charred over a flame and then diced and canned. They taste slightly sweet and smoky. I like using them for soups and sauces that demand a rich tomato flavor. If you want a smokier flavor, add smoked paprika or Tabasco sauce. Just a touch of sugar brings out the tomatoes’ sweetness. If you are watching your calories, forgo or use less dairy.
Serve this with grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch or a light dinner. The soup is also wonderful served with a mixed vegetable salad.
vegetables begin to soften. Add the eggplant and a pinch of salt and white pepper, and continue to saute another 5 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or until slightly softened.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and continue to cook over low heat for 2 minutes or until the flour is thickened and incorporated into the vegetables, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and stock and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat.
3. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked and the flavors are well-blended. Remove from the heat. With a traditional blender or a hand blender, blend the soup until it is roughly pureed with some texture remaining. Add the vinegar and return the soup to medium heat and cook for 2 minutes. Add the milk or half-and-half, stirring to combine, and cook for another minute. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasoning.
4. Ladle the soup into soup bowls and garnish with a few croutons and basil leaves.