It’s getting very close to soup season. Recently I was lucky enough to have this delicious soup as part of a dinner. Much as I love eggplant, I wasn’t entirely sure how it would go in a soup, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The chef was persuaded to part with his recipe – so here it is!
It’s really tasty, with a light and wonderful texture. Even non-aubergine fans should give it a go…
You will need:
- olive oil
- pinch of salt
- pepper
- an onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tomatoes
- 750ml vegetable stock
- 1 bunch basil
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/4 cup honey
- balsamic vinegar
Method:
Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the aubergine briskly, then remove and season with salt and pepper.
Peel and dice the onion and garlic. Warm a little extra olive oil and sauté until soft.
Chop the tomatoes and add to the onion and garlic, stir in the fried aubergine, pour in the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Pluck the basil leaves from the stems (save four really nice leaves for garnish), chop coarsely, and stir into the soup about five minutes before the end of the cooking time. Allow the soup to cool a little, stir in the cream and honey, and puree n a blender until it’s very smooth. Press through a fine sieve. Now add a dash of balsamic vinegar and season to taste.
Serve hot, topped with the basil leaves.