Persian Roasted Eggplant Soup

I'm not sure if the origin of this flavorful eggplant soup recipe is actually Persian or Lebanese. 

The basic recipe has been a family favorite for many years. It's simple, delicious, a crowd-pleaser, and an interesting way to use eggplant. We make this easy soup two ways:




1. Vegetables only recipe- We use only the indicated roasted vegetables for the basic recipe.
2. Chickpeas added recipe- We make the basic roasted vegetable recipe, but we blend in 3/4 cup of cooked chickpeas which adds flavor as well as protein. 

I suggest trying the basic recipe first.

Either way, whether you add the chickpeas or not (I didn't ), it's an exotic recipe that may sound unusual to Americans but is much more common to Middle Eastern cooks and palates.

The recipe calls for four basic vegetables:

• Eggplant, cherry tomatoes, carrots and lots of garlic - all roasted.

If you are not familiar with za'atar,(affiliate link), it is a Middle Eastern spice blend. I buy this brand (affiliate link) because it is gluten-free. It's made from sesame seeds, hyssop (oregano type herb), parsley, coriander, salt, citric acid, and olive oil. However, beware some brands may contain roasted wheat and therefore will not be gluten-free- you need to read the ingredients or buy a brand that indicates- Gluten-free. 

Za'atar adds a perfect blend of spices as a garnish for this soup.

Author of this blog: Judee Algazi
Prep Time: 10-12 minutes
Roasting Time:  About 35 minutes
Blend Time: 1 minute
Serves: 5 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled and cubed eggplant

3 cups of sliced carrot

6 cloves of fresh garlic, cut in half

2 cups of cherry tomatoes halved
Individually, toss all the vegetables in olive oil or acquafaba
(or spray with olive oil spray)

 or for an oil-free version, toss in aquafaba- see notes at end
3 cups of flavorful vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder added to the blender

1/2 teaspoon of salt added to the blender

1/2 teaspoon of pepper added to the blender

A shake of Za'atar seasoning added to each bowl of soup (omit on Passover)

Optional: add 3/4 cup of chickpeas after blending for a more filling soup 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  On a rimmed cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper place eggplant on one half of the cookie sheet and the tomatoes and garlic on the other side of the cookie sheet. On another cookie sheet, roast the carrots. Roast all of them in the oven for thirty minutes or until done. Place all of the cooled roasted vegetables into a blender, add vegetable broth, and blend until smooth. Top with za'atar and enjoy.

My Notes and Great Reader's Tip:  

1. My good friend Laura Szabo (link) (author and fabulous cook) loves this recipe and makes it frequently. 

Laura shared this time saving tip.

She roasts her veggies in advance and then freezes them. She just takes the vegetables out of the freezer, defrosts them, and then pops everything into blender for a quick easy soup. 

Thanks Laura for this helpful time-saving tip!!

Shared on Beth Fish Reads, Weekend Cooking where anyone can share a food related post.

Shared on Deb's Souper Sunday where anyone can share a soup, salad, or sammie recipe post.

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