I really wanted to name this column “It”s soup weather,” but if you are in California right now, that falls a little flat. The days are in the high 70s and the sun is shining. Fortunately, no matter if the rain or snow is falling or it”s a cold winter day, soup is always a good choice.
I love taking a delicious main course and re-doing it into a soup. These days, you can find all kinds of delicious soups and be a little more adventurous than plain old chicken soup or split pea. I enjoy the classics but love to change it up a bit. This soup came out of one of those sleepless nights when I was creating soup ideas to try to fall asleep.
I like soup that starts with roasting. Lining the sheet pan with foil makes for easy clean-up. You can roast almost any vegetable and pur?e into an easy soup. This one really tastes like eggplant parmesan, but is a little lighter in calories and has a nice intense flavor.
Make sure you select an eggplant that is firm, with tight, glossy skin.
Vegetables are not always the first things we consider when pairing wine. A crisp sauvignon blanc with an herby, citrusy-style measures up to the sweet acidity of tomato and the delightful meatiness of eggplant. I would normally turn to a Chianti or Sangiovise when thinking of eggplant parmesan, fried in olive oil and smothered in marinara with a blanket of mozzarella cheese. I created this soup as an alternative to a heavy dish such as eggplant parmesan.
Roasting the vegetables intensifies the flavors of the tomato & eggplant. By smoothing it out with the vegetable stock it becomes lighter and brighter. The flavors in the Sauvignon Blanc make each spoonful of soup lively and balanced. The clean, crisp nuances of the wine create a fun experience while chomping away on those addictive salty cheese bits of eggplant croutons.
After a couple months of indulging in holiday fare, this winter soup makes it feel like its summer no matter where you live.
Eggplant Parmesan soup
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant cut in half
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic, whole, peeled
2 16-ounce cans fire roasted, diced tomatoes
1 quart veggie stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with foil. Place eggplant face down on foil lined baking sheet. Distribute garlic and cut onion around eggplant. Drizzle with olive oil and slat and pepper.
Roast for 40 minutes in preheated oven. Watch garlic and onions; remove if becoming brown (25 to 30 minutes). Place in bowl of food processor. Remove and cool eggplant with soft and collapses.
Scoop flesh into bowl of food processor with roasted onion and garlic. Add two cans fire roasted tomatoes. Pulse until smooth with a few rough chunks.
Put in four-quart saucepan with veggie stock. Heat over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Add fresh basil, cut in chiffonade, balsamic vinegar and taste for salt and pepper. Serve in shallow soup bowls garnished with eggplant croutons and drizzled with good extra virgin olive oil. Serves six.
Eggplant croutons
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup olive oil for frying
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Panko
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
Instructions:
Place eggplant in medium bowl, toss with salt and pepper. Set up breading station (flour in first bowl, beaten eggs in second, Panko mixed with parmesan in third bowl).
Heat olive oil in nonstick pan over medium-high heat to 350 Fahrenheit.
Dredge 1/4 at a time the eggplant cubes in each bowl: flour, egg and Panko parmesan mixture.
Fry in preheated nonstick pan, turn with tongs about three to four minutes until brown.
Drain on wire rack over sheet pan until remaining three batches are done.
Use to garnish (four to five croutons) in each bowl of soup.
Julie Hoskins is the chef and owner of Chic Le Chef Catering in Hidden Valley Lake.
