Pete's Grilled Eggplant Soup

Photo by Tod Dimmick











This great recipe by Peter Lundberg is from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce (Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition). I admit I was a skeptic until I tried it. And then came back for seconds and thirds.

3 large eggplants
1 cup olive oil
2 large onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
thin, round lemon slices
sour cream

Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick planks. Grill or broil them until moderately charred. Meanwhile, place olive oil, onions and garlic in large soup pot; cook on high heat, stirring frequently, until translucent. Dice the charred eggplant, add it to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add stock, lemon juice, and spices, simmer 30 minutes. Let it cool a little, then puree in small batches (TD Note: Can you say Immersion Blender?!). The color will be a rich brick hue. You may add salt and additional spices to taste. Reheat the soup when you're ready to serve it, garnishing each bowl with a lemon slice topped with a dollop of sour cream. The soup may also be served chilled in the summer. This is the type of soup you may improvise with, adding other vegetables if you have them.