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    Home » Soups

    Eggplant Soup

    Published: Jul 5, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Our eggplant soup is a light, healthy, and tasty dish that is easy to make with a few simple, fresh ingredients.

    We roast eggplant, garlic, and cherry tomatoes in the oven for a slightly sweet, caramelized, and smoky flavor, but you can also make this recipe in one pot on the stovetop in 30 minutes.

    eggplant soup with homemade croutons
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Variations
    • More soup recipes
    • More eggplant recipes
    • Questions
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Check out our Best Soup Recipes

    Eggplant soup is great because it's easy to make, light, smooth, nutritious, tasty, and versatile.

    We make it by roasting the eggplants, tomatoes, and garlic in the oven until soft and slightly caramelized.

    Then we transfer everything into a pot with olive oil and onion and simmer in vegetable broth for about 15 minutes before blending it with an immersion blender until smooth and velvety.

    You can eat roasted eggplant soup on its own, as a starter, or side dish.

    Alternatively, to make it more nutritious and fulfilling, you can add homemade croutons, air-fried croutons, crispy roasted chickpeas, or air-fried chickpeas. They add so much crunch and taste!

    Like in our Tuscan soup, you can even blend in a can of cannellini beans. This way, the tomato and eggplant soup will get thicker, creamier, and more satiating, and you can have it as a main meal.

    The recipe is vegan and gluten-free. If you are not vegan, you can sprinkle some grated parmesan, crumbled feta cheese, or goat cheese right before serving it.

    If you are vegan, you can sprinkle with a tablespoon of our vegan parmesan cheese or crumble some of our vegan ricotta on top.

    eggplant soup with crispy roasted chickpea

    Ingredients

    Eggplant

    Use globe eggplant for this recipe. They are the dark-purple, big eggplants you can find in most supermarkets. They are meaty and have plenty of flesh to turn into soup.

    Tomatoes

    Go for small tomatoes like cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or date tomatoes. They roast quickly in the oven and are sweeter, adding a nice caramelized flavor to the soup.

    Garlic & Onion

    Use them to add flavor to the eggplant soup. We roast the garlic to make it mellow and sweet. We fry the onion in a bit of oil to build a flavor base for the soup.

    Olive oil

    Extra virgin olive oil is best. It has a richer, fruitier flavor and a better nutritional profile than other vegetable oils.

    Thyme

    You can use fresh thyme or dry thyme. Good alternatives to thyme are oregano, parsley, basil, and mint.

    Vegetable Broth

    Vegetable broth adds flavor to the eggplant. We tried making the soup with water, but it turned out a little bland.

    Salt and Pepper

    Eggplant soup needs salt (sea salt or kosher salt) and black pepper to taste good.

    Cannellini beans (Optional)

    Cannellini beans are optional, and we only recommend adding them if you like a thicker, creamier soup you want to eat as a main meal. They are great in soups, especially in this one, because they have a thin peel and blend well. Their flavor is nutty, buttery, and not overpowering, allowing the roasted eggplant to shine.

    roasted eggplant soup in a white pot

    Instructions

    Step 1: Roast the veggies.

    Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Wash and dry the eggplant, cut it in half lengthwise, and score its flesh with the tip of a sharp knife. Season the flesh with salt, pepper, thyme, and olive oil, then place it on the baking tray cut side down.

    Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes, arrange them on the baking tray, and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Crush and peel the garlic, and add to the tray.

    eggplant, garlic, and tomatoes on a baking tray

    Roast the vegetables for 40 minutes until the eggplant is fully cooked inside and slightly charred on the outside. The garlic should be soft, and the tomatoes brown and caramelized. The roasted veggies will pack the soup with flavor.

    roasted vegetables on baking tray

    Step 2: Make the soup.

    In a large pot or dutch oven, fry the chopped onion and red pepper flakes with olive oil for 1 minute.

    Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant from its peel and add it to the dutch oven. Add the roasted tomatoes with their juices and the garlic, and fry with the onion for 3 minutes.

    Note: we prefer to make eggplant soup without eggplant peel because the peel makes the soup less smooth and of a less appealing color. However, the peel is edible, so feel free to add it if you don't want to waste it.

    onion, eggplant, and tomatoes in a dutch oven

    Add the vegetable broth (and optionally drained and rinsed cannellini beans), bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to medium to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

    vegetable broth added to the roasted veggies

    Turn the heat off, then with an immersion blender, blend the soup until you reach your desired texture. You can go from a puree consistency to a silky smooth soup based on your preference.

    Taste and adjust for salt, pepper, and thyme before serving it.

    Tip: add more vegetable stock if you'd like a thinner soup. Simmer a few more minutes if you'd like a thicker soup.

    blending the eggplant soup with an immersion blender

    Serving suggestions

    As an appetizer

    Portion eggplant soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil or thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Served like this is perfect as an appetizer or as a side dish.

    You can combine it with our other easy vegan appetizers or vegetable side dishes.

    eggplant soup with roasted tomatoes and thyme

    As a main dish

    To make it a complete meal, serve it with crunchy croutons; you can make oven-baked croutons or air fryer croutons.

    As an alternative, serve it with our homemade crostini on the side. You can top your crostini with different vegetables, like sautéed zucchini, avocado spread, roasted bell peppers, braised artichokes with artichoke pesto, olive tapenade, and much more. Check out the "variations" chapter in our crostini blog post.

    Served this way, eggplant soup has become one of our favorite dinners because it is healthy, varied, and super tasty.

    eggplant soup with homemade croutons

    Crispy roasted chickpeas are also great on top of this eggplant soup recipe. Like bread croutons, you can make oven-roasted chickpeas or crunchy air-fried chickpeas.

    You can season the chickpeas with your favorite spices as we did here with smokey chipotle powder. Other seasonings that go well with eggplant soup are curry powder, paprika, and garlic powder. Finally, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice on top of the chickpeas if you like.

    To add even more protein to the soup, add cubes of pan-fried tofu or air-fried tofu on top.

    eggplant soup with crispy roasted chickpea

    Variations

    One-pot eggplant soup

    Don't want to turn on the oven? No problem. Make this soup in one pot, with the same ingredients, in a fraction of the time. The only downside is you won't get the same caramelized smokey roasting flavors.

    Step 1: peel the eggplant and cut it into 1-inch dice.

    Step 2: fry chopped garlic and onion with oil, in a dutch oven, for one minute. Add halved cherry tomatoes and sear on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir often.

    Step 3: add diced eggplants and cook with the tomatoes for 5 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Add vegetable broth (and optionally cannellini beans) and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is cooked.

    Step 4: Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste and adjust for salt and herbs before serving.

    Air-fried eggplant soup

    Air-fried eggplant cooks in half the time as oven-roasted eggplant, and it looks and tastes the same (if not better). By using an air fryer, you can save more than 20 minutes.

    Step 1: preheat the air-fryer at 400°F or 200°C for 3 minutes. In the meantime, wash and dry the eggplant, cut it in half lengthwise, and score its flesh with the tip of a sharp knife. Season the eggplant with salt, pepper, and olive oil, also inside the cuts.

    Step 2: air-fry the eggplant cut side up for 15 minutes. Then turn it around, and air-fry for 5 more minutes.

    Step 3: in the meantime, fry chopped onion and chopped garlic with olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven for a couple of minutes. Add halved cherry tomatoes to the pot, add a pinch of salt, and scorch them on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until soft.

    Step 4: when the eggplant is ready, scoop out the flesh from the peel and add it to the pot with the tomatoes.

    Step 5: Add the vegetable broth and thyme, and simmer for 15 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste and adjust for salt and herbs before serving.

    More soup recipes

    If you like this eggplant soup, you'll love our other vibrant and veggie-packed soups:

    • Zucchini soup with potato
    • Lentil soup with leafy greens
    • Butternut squash soup served with seeds and chili flakes
    • Tofu soup with seasonal veggies and noodles
    • Tuscan bean soup with kale and sourdough bread

    Or check out our lentil curry and tofu curry for more heartwarming dinner ideas.

    More eggplant recipes

    We're big fans of eggplant, it's a versatile and tender vegetable to cook with. If you're hungry for more eggplant ideas, here are some of our family favorites:

    • Roasted eggplant
    • Eggplant pizza
    • Sicilian caponata
    • Creamy eggplant dip
    • Eggplant pasta
    • Grilled eggplant

    Or see our 35 best eggplant recipes for more ideas for your next meal.

    Questions

    Can I make eggplant soup without an immersion blender?

    Yes, you can use a regular standing blender or a power blender; however, if your blender has a plastic jug, we recommend letting your soup cool down for about 10 minutes before blending it so that the hot liquid doesn't get in touch with the plastic.

    Can I roast the eggplant in advance?

    Yes, absolutely. You can save a lot of time by roasting the eggplant (and the other vegetables) ahead of time, up to 2 days in advance. Store the roasted veggies in the fridge in an airtight container, then when you are ready to use them, add them to the pot.

    Storage

    Refrigerator: store cold leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, ideally in an airtight container. The next day, reheat only the portions you will eat in a saucepan. Serve with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

    Freezer: let the soup cool down completely before freezing it. Then, transfer to freezer-friendly single portion containers and freeze for up to a month. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave.

    For many more dinner ideas, check out our mains category page.

    Recipe

    eggplant soup

    Eggplant Soup

    Author: Nico
    Our eggplant soup is a light, healthy, and tasty dish that is easy to make with a few simple, fresh ingredients.
    We roast eggplant, garlic, and cherry tomatoes in the oven for a slightly sweet, caramelized, and smoky flavor, but you can also make this recipe in one pot on the stovetop in 30 minutes.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Roasting Eggplant 40 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Appetizer, Main, Soup
    Cuisine American, International
    Servings 5 people
    Calories 156 kcal

    Equipment

    • Immersion blender or regular blender

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 large eggplants cut in half lengthwise
    • 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 2 teaspoons thyme
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 large onion
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 4 cups vegetable broth

    Optional Ingredients

    • 1 can (15-ounce) cannellini beans
    • 1 handful parsley
    • 1 cup homemade croutons

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
      Wash and dry the eggplant, cut it in half lengthwise, and score its flesh with the tip of a sharp knife. Season the flesh with salt, pepper, thyme, and olive oil, then place it on the baking tray cut side down.
      Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes, arrange them on the baking tray, and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Crush and peel the garlic, and add to the tray.
      eggplant, garlic, and tomatoes on a baking tray
    • Roast the vegetables for 40 minutes until the eggplant is fully cooked inside and slightly charred on the outside. The garlic should be soft, and the tomatoes brown and caramelized.
      roasted vegetables on baking tray
    • In a large pot, fry chopped onion and red pepper flakes with olive oil for 1 minute.
      Scoop out the flesh of the eggplant from its peel and add it to the pot. Add roasted tomatoes with their juices and the garlic, and fry with the onion for 3 minutes.
      Note: we prefer to make eggplant soup without eggplant peel because the peel makes the soup less smooth and of a less appealing color. However, the peel is edible, so feel free to add it if you don't want to waste it.
      onion, eggplant, and tomatoes in a dutch oven
    • Add the vegetable broth (and optionally drained and rinsed cannellini beans), bring to a boil on medium-high heat, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
      vegetable broth added to the roasted veggies
    • Turn heat off, then with an immersion blender, blend the soup until you reach your desired texture. You can go from a puree consistency to a silky smooth soup based on your preference.
      Taste and adjust for salt, pepper, and thyme before serving it.
      Tip: add more vegetable stock if you'd like a thinner soup. Simmer a few more minutes if you'd like a thicker soup.
      blending the eggplant soup with an immersion blender

    Serving suggestions

    • Portion eggplant soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, basil or thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. 
      You can add croutons, or roasted chickpeas on top.
      eggplant soup with homemade croutons

    Notes

    Nutrition information is for one big portion out of four, without cannellini beans and without toppings.
    Check out the "variations" chapter for the one-pot and air-fryer variations of this soup.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Eggplant Soup
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 156 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Trans Fat 0g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 4g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Potassium 851mg24%
    Carbohydrates 25g8%
    Dietary Fiber 9g38%
    Sugar 14g16%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin A 969IU19%
    Vitamin B6 0.4mg20%
    Vitamin C 30mg36%
    Vitamin E 2mg13%
    Vitamin K 15µg14%
    Calcium 48mg5%
    Folate 75µg19%
    Iron 2mg11%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 50mg13%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

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