Great day for soup! How about roasted eggplant and leek? I just love a good eggplant soup especially with a little spice. This recipe is really low maintenance which I also like. Simply roast the eggplant and scoop out the pulp, combine it with a few other ingredients and puree. It really is that easy.
Eggplant Soup
2 Purple eggplants cut in half lengthwise
2 large leeks white part only washed and sliced
4 garlic cloves sliced
2 shallots sliced
1/3 cup of sherry wine
48 oz of chicken stock
1 jalapeno sliced with seeds
2 tbsp of half and half
6 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
On a sheet pan lined with foil/parchment paper/ or silt mat place the eggplant with the flesh side facing up. Drizzle the eggplant with half of the olive oil on the 4 halves of the eggplant. Season the eggplant flesh with salt and pepper and flip over so the skin side of the eggplant is facing up or towards you. Place the eggplant in the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes depending on how big your eggplant are. Take out and allow to continue to cook while you prepare the rest of the soup.
In a medium soup pot on medium high add the remaining olive oil, shallots, garlic, leeks, jalapeno and 2 pinches of salt. Saute for 5 minutes without browning, if they are starting to brown turn down the heat a little. Deglaze the pot with the sherry wine. Reduce the wine by half and add the chicken stock. Bring the pot to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Add the pulp of the roasted eggplant (no skin) by using a spoon to scoop it out and place in the pot. Let the soup simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Then place in batches into your vitamix or blender and puree until smooth. You can add a little half and half or milk to a give it a little creamy color and texture without adding actual cream. I took some of the tender parts of the green leek and fried them for a garnish to the soup. Feel free to add any of the following fresh herbs like thyme, basil, cilantro, parsley, or tarragon for a little added flavor. I have used all of them at different times making this soup and they all work. Finish the soup with a little olive oil and serve!
