This soup is bursting with flavors from six different veggies. Roasting the vegetables makes a huge difference, not only with flavor, but also allows the skin to be removed from the bell peppers, tomatoes and eggplant. Removing the skins results in a smoother texture. Be sure to season to your taste. The nice thing about soups, is the measurements are suggestions, and can be added to, especially at the end after all the elements meld together to suit your taste presences.
Serve this with your favorite sandwich or a large piece of hearty bread slathered in butter.
Prep Time25 minsCook Time45 minsTotal Time1 hr 10 mins
INGREDIENTS
2 Large eggplants
2 Large zucchini
4 Bell peppers, red or yellow (sweeter than green)
4 Small onions, or 2 large, pealed and halved
7 Roma tomatoes or 4 round
1 Head of garlic, peeled
1 tbsp Thyme, dried (oregano or basil can be substituted)Fresh can be substituted, 6 sprigs
1 tbsp Rosemary, dried (sage or lemon zest can be substituted)Fresh can be substituted, 4 sprigs, leaves removed and chopped
2 tbsp Salt More for roasting and tasting
4 cups Vegetable broth (1 container)
2 cups Half and halfCoconut milk or heavy cream can be substituted
1 Lemon
Oil for roasting
DIRECTIONS
1Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare vegetables for roasting. Cut eggplants and bell peppers in half, remove seeds from peppers.
Chop zucchini in half and into 4 inch pieces.
Cut tops from tomatoes.
2Place vegetables, cut side down, onto baking sheet. If they don’t all fit evenly on one sheet, separate between two or three sheets.
Drizzle oil over all vegetables, and sprinkle with herbs and a pinch of salt.
Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until bell pepper skin is browned and tomatoes have burst.
3Once vegetables are roasted, remove from oven and place bell peppers into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 5-7 minutes. This will let them steam and the skin can easily be peeled away. Peel skin from bell peppers and add back to roasted veggies.
Remove the skin from tomatoes.
4Once eggplants have cooled enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the peel. Throw away peel.
5Using a large pot, scrape all roasted vegetables including any liquid from the baking sheets into the pot. Add broth and salt to vegetables.
Simmer for 20 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
6If your have a hand blender you can use it to blend the vegetables, try not to liquify, but purée the soup.
If you have a blender, scoop the vegetables from the broth and blend. Pour puréed vegetables back into pot.
Add half and half and return soup to a low simmer. Season soup to taste.
7Before serving, squeeze lemon over soup.
Ingredients
2 Large eggplants
2 Large zucchini
4 Bell peppers, red or yellow (sweeter than green)
4 Small onions, or 2 large, pealed and halved
7 Roma tomatoes or 4 round
1 Head of garlic, peeled
1 tbsp Thyme, dried (oregano or basil can be substituted)Fresh can be substituted, 6 sprigs
1 tbsp Rosemary, dried (sage or lemon zest can be substituted)Fresh can be substituted, 4 sprigs, leaves removed and chopped
2 tbsp Salt More for roasting and tasting
4 cups Vegetable broth (1 container)
2 cups Half and halfCoconut milk or heavy cream can be substituted
1 Lemon
Oil for roasting
Directions
1Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare vegetables for roasting. Cut eggplants and bell peppers in half, remove seeds from peppers.
Chop zucchini in half and into 4 inch pieces.
Cut tops from tomatoes.
2Place vegetables, cut side down, onto baking sheet. If they don’t all fit evenly on one sheet, separate between two or three sheets.
Drizzle oil over all vegetables, and sprinkle with herbs and a pinch of salt.
Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until bell pepper skin is browned and tomatoes have burst.
3Once vegetables are roasted, remove from oven and place bell peppers into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 5-7 minutes. This will let them steam and the skin can easily be peeled away. Peel skin from bell peppers and add back to roasted veggies.
Remove the skin from tomatoes.
4Once eggplants have cooled enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the peel. Throw away peel.
5Using a large pot, scrape all roasted vegetables including any liquid from the baking sheets into the pot. Add broth and salt to vegetables.
Simmer for 20 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
6If your have a hand blender you can use it to blend the vegetables, try not to liquify, but purée the soup.
If you have a blender, scoop the vegetables from the broth and blend. Pour puréed vegetables back into pot.
Add half and half and return soup to a low simmer. Season soup to taste.
7Before serving, squeeze lemon over soup.
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