Name: Vegan Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds eggplant , cut into ½-inch pieces; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving; 1 onion , chopped; Salt and pepper; 2 garlic cloves , minced; 1½ teaspoons ras el hanout; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 4 cups vegetable broth , plus extra as needed; 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained; ¼ cup raisins; 1 bay leaf; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons slivered almonds , toasted; 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Why This Recipe Works

Taking inspiration from the many eastern Mediterranean dishes that pair eggplant with tomato, we developed a supersatisfying soup in which we puree the eggplant and tomato for a wonderfully creamy and hefty base. We found we could skip the common prep task of salting, rinsing, and drying the eggplant before cooking since we would be pureeing it. We left the skin on for deeper eggplant flavor, diced the eggplant, and broiled it to develop some smoky char. To build our soup, we started with the usual aromatics—onion and garlic—and added the flavorful North African warm spice blend ras el hanout (plus some extra cumin), which gave the soup a complexly spiced base. Looking to obtain a subtle sweetness without the cloying addition of sugar, we added ¼ cup of earthy raisins, which, once pureed, also gave our soup body. And we reserved some eggplant to add to the pureed soup for a pleasantly chunky texture. Lemon juice provided brightness, a sprinkling of almonds contributed crunch, and cilantro added freshness.

Before You Begin

We strongly prefer our favorite vegetarian broth, Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Broth, or our homemade Vegetable Broth Base here.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Toss eggplant with 5 tablespoons oil, then spread on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil eggplant for 10 minutes. Stir eggplant and continue to broil until mahogany brown, 5 to 7 minutes; let cool on baking sheet. Set aside 2 cups eggplant.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, ras el hanout, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, tomatoes, raisins, bay leaf, and remaining eggplant and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until eggplant is softened, about 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaf. Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Return soup to clean saucepan and stir in reserved 2 cups eggplant. Heat soup gently over low heat until hot and adjust consistency with extra hot broth as needed. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, sprinkling individual bowls with almonds and cilantro and drizzling with extra oil.