With summer on the wane and autumn waving its gentle hand at me I am moving into soup mode and this roast aubergine soup with courgettes and tomatoes really makes the most of the late summer harvest. It’s a glorious celebration of those long balmy days and is full of the taste of sunshine.
If you are reading this in the depths of winter, why not check out my Collection of 14+ Cosy Winter Soups recipes to warm you up?
How To Make Roast Aubergine Soup
Roasting vegetables brings out all their glorious flavours. It’s also easy, uses less oil than frying and you don’t have to stand over them while they cook.
I tossed diced aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes with sliced red onions and whole garlic cloves in a little olive oil and tumbled them onto a baking sheet. They sizzled away in the oven for about 40 minutes until they were soft and browning and ready to be soup.
I only checked them once, turned them with a spatula and left them to their own devices until they were done.
Once the veg are roasted all that remains to be done is to add some vegetable stock, tomato puree and some seasoning.
Keep one third of the vegetables warm in the oven while you blend the remainder with the stock until you have a smooth soup.
Pour it into a pan and heat it gently until piping hot. Taste and adjust seasoning before pouring the finished soup into warmed bowls and adding the reserved vegetables.
Aubergine Soup – Toppings
This roasted aubergine soup is delicious as it is but I think the lovely Mediterranean flavours are complemented by the addition of a spoonful of vegan yoghurt, mixed with a little lemon juice and some mint.
If you are not a yoghurt fan you could top this soup with:
- Homemade Croutons – try my Cumin Croutons for a lovely complementary flavour.
- Chopped Herbs – Parsley, Coriander, Basil, Dill and Mint all work really well here.
- Toasted Seeds – Lightly toasted Pumpkin and Sunflower seeds add a lovely crunchy topping or you could use caraway, cumin or fennel seeds for an extra flavour punch.
- Flavoured Oil – A drizzle of Chilli or Basil Oil would be delicious.
Alternative Vegetable Suggestions
Aubergine is pretty essential for an aubergine soup and tomatoes and onions add necessary flavour, but you could shake things up a bit and roast some extras if the mood takes you.
You could add
- Fennel – not too much or you will have fennel soup instead!
- Squash – Butternut would be a good choice here. Diced into small cubes and roasted with the aubergines it adds lovely flavour and texture but you may need to add a little more stock to thin the soup.
- Bell Pepper – A perfect added extra in a Mediterranean vegetable soup! If I’d had one when I made this I would have added it in!
More Recipes To Celebrate Summer
Whether you are reading this in the height of summer or as it comes to an end this soup is full of seasonal flavours. If you are craving that sunshine taste you could also try:
- Vegan Tart With Roasted Vegetables and Smoked Garlic
- Pizza Rolls to Tear and Share
- Hummus and Carrot Tart
- Easy Vegan Omelette with Fresh Herbs
- Three Grain Salad with Roasted Pepper Dressing
- Vegan Carrot Fritters
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Roast Aubergine Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large aubergine (eggplant) diced
- 2 medium courgettes (zucchini/summer squash) diced
- 2 medium red onions peeled and sliced into chunks
- 2 large tomatoes each sliced into 8 lengthwise
- 6 cloves garlic peeled, halved lengthwise
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to taste
To Serve
- 4 tbsp vegan yoghurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- mint leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/390F
- Toss the diced vegetables in the olive oil and tumble onto a baking tray.
- Roast in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, turning once, until soft and beginning to brown.
- Keep one third of the vegetables warm in the oven.
- Blend the remaining vegetables with the stock and tomato puree until smooth.
- Pour the blended mixture into a pan and heat it gently until piping hot.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before pouring the finished soup into warmed bowls and adding the reserved vegetables.
- Stir lemon juice into the yoghurt and spoon a little into each bowl, topped with a sprig of mint.
I tried this recipe – adapted it to what I had in the larder: a bit of celery; only one courgette; three-quarters of a red onion; omitted the garlic and tomatoes. Unbelievable fabulous. Thank-you for the inspiration.