This eggplant soup is rich, cozy, and full of flavor thanks to roasting the eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic until deeply caramelized. The vegetables blend into a smooth, bisque-like soup with smoky depth and natural sweetness that’s easy to make, freezes beautifully, and even wins over eggplant skeptics.
This will satisfy any craving for a hearty, warming soup, and even make eggplant skeptics into eggplant lovers! The flavor is truly amazing with the caramelized, smoky bits of eggplant, tomato, and garlic at the base of the soup.
Make this eggplant soup in a matter of minutes with minimal hands-on time. The tomatoes and eggplant roast in the oven, so you can prepare some Dill Ricotta Biscuits, or a quick salad to go with the soup.
Like most of my delicious soups and stew recipes, this one goes well with a cozy sandwich, fresh bread or biscuits, or salad. The perfect meal on a fall or winter night.
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Roasted Eggplant Soup From My Test Kitchen
This soup resulted from a request my mother made. She had eaten a roasted tomato and eggplant soup at a restaurant, and wanted me to re-create it so she could make it at home.
Having never tasted it myself, I got a kick out of coming up with a recipe based solely on my mom's description! Really, all I knew was that the soup had roasted eggplant and tomatoes in it, and tasted delicious.
According to mom I nailed it!
The soup doesn't need many ingredients beyond a smoky roasted eggplant, aromatics like onions and garlic, some caramelized roasted tomatoes and broth. It's pureed, so it's as comforting as that childhood bowl of tomato soup, and sophisticated with layers of flavor.
In this article you'll learn:
- That rich, comforting eggplant soup uses roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic for deep, caramelized flavor.
- Roasting the vegetables, instead of sautéing them, creates a smoky, creamy base and prevents watery soup.
- How this tomato and eggplant soup comes together with minimal hands-on time, making it ideal for weeknight cooking.
- How simple aromatics and broth build layers of flavor.
- Tips for pureeing the soup to a smooth, bisque-like texture that’s hearty but not heavy.
- Make-ahead, storage, and freezing guidance so this soup works beautifully for meal prep and cozy fall or winter dinners.
- Serving ideas and pairings that turn this soup into a complete meal, even for eggplant skeptics.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
Why you'll love this recipe
With just a few ingredients I made this recipe super flavorful. I tested various methods and landed on roasting not only the eggplant, but the tomatoes and garlic too!
That created a sweetness, added umami, and gave the garlic a mild flavor that layered perfectly with everything.
Here are the other reasons you'll love this:
- It's easy to make with only a few ingredients.
- It's gluten free, and can be made vegetarian and vegan—making it great for any crowd or family.
- It's a perfect make-ahead meal and can be frozen or stored for another day.
I love this. And the best part is that it has tomatoes. My husband is allergic to tomatoes, so I’ll have this ALL to myself!
- Stacie Ki
Ingredients
Use a few simple ingredients to make this hearty soup. The flavors are intensified by roasting the vegetables. See recipe card for quantities.
- Eggplant: Use 3 pounds of any eggplant you have.
- Tomatoes: Use 5 medium garden tomatoes or 2 pints cherry tomatoes.
- Garlic: Use one head of garlic and roast it in the skins.
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Tomato paste: Adds a rich depth and a little sweetness.
- Chicken or Vegetable broth
- Salt and Pepper
Tara's Top Tips
Roast the eggplant fully. Eggplant should be deeply caramelized and completely tender before blending. If it’s pale or under-roasted, the soup won’t have the same smoky depth or creamy texture.
Season after blending. Flavors concentrate once everything is cooked and puréed. Taste and adjust salt and pepper at the very end.
How to make tomato eggplant soup
Roasting eggplant it key for this recipe. If you were to saute it in a pot with onions, it would turn into a watery situation with very little flavor.
Roasting this veggie gives it a nice mild smokey taste, makes it easy to peel, and turns the insides creamy and delicious. Roasting also brings out the flavor of the tomatoes and garlic. I really like all of these veggies cooked in the oven. Garlic gets soft and buttery, eggplant is smokey and creamy, and the tomatoes intensify in juicy flavor.
- Cut up eggplant and tomatoes and heat the oven to 425ºF.
- Wrap a head of garlic in foil with olive oil.
- Cook garlic, eggplant and tomatoes in the oven until caramelized.
- Saute the onions until soft and add tomato paste.
- Add the roasted eggplant and tomatoes with broth.
- Puree and season to make a thick soup, or bisque.
Oh I just love this soup! I call it a bisque because of the thicker, rich texture. However it's not quite a stew. So bisque it is!
Developing Soup Recipes
Every year or so as the Food Director of Ladies' Home Journal magazine, I would create recipes for a soup article. Sometimes I would get crazy and throw a stew or two in the mix; but either way, we would get our soup on for the winter months.
I would technically develop and cook them in the summer, since we worked so many months ahead of time for the published magazine.
I always knew if a soup was good enough to eat in the sweltering heat and humidity of a New York summer, then it was sure to be a hit when the magazine went to print in the winter.
Storage
Storage: Let the soup cool completely or until just slightly warm before transferring it to an airtight container. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Warm the soup gently on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave, stirring every minute to help it warm evenly.
Freezing: This tomato eggplant soup freezes beautifully. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Equipment
Start by roasting vegetables on a half sheet pan.
Here's your chance to pull out your enameled Dutch Oven.
Use an immersion blender, or food processor to puree the soup.
What To Serve with Eggplant Soup
The rich tomato and eggplant soup flavors go with breads and salads to make a complete meal. Try some of these!
- Quick Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Cheesy Cornbread
- Roasted Broccoli Melt
- Polenta, Zucchini and Chicken Salad
- Lemony Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Spinach Melts go well with this bisque, and Toasts with Sweet Potato Spread add a fresh bite to a warm dinner.
More soups and stew recipes
FAQs
Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and this soup is vegetarian and vegan.
No. Roast the eggplant with the skin on. For this eggplant and tomato stew recipe I recommend washing the eggplant and trimming the stem off. Then just cut it in half lengthwise and prepare it for roasting with the skin on. Once it is soft, you can remove the skin.
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📖 Full Recipe
Roasted Eggplant Soup with Tomatoes and Garlic
Ingredients
- 3 pounds eggplant (halved lengthwise)
- 5 medium tomatoes (halved and cored)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for vegetables)
- 1 head garlic (about ¼-inch cut off top to expose cloves)
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. In a rimmed baking sheet, liberally brush eggplant and tomatoes with oil; arrange eggplant cut side down and tomatoes cut side up. Brush cut side of garlic head with oil and wrap in foil-nestle on the pan next to the other vegetables.
- Roast vegetables and garlic until vegetables are tender and browning in spots, about 45 minutes. Let stand until eggplant is cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes; peel eggplant and discard skin.
- Meanwhile in a large pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Add eggplant and tomatoes. Squeeze roasted garlic from skins into vegetables; stir to combine. Stir in broth, salt and pepper; bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Purèe using an immersion blender or a food processor.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Recipe Tara Teaspoon. Photographer Blaine Moats
Stacie Ki says
I love this. And the best part is that it has tomatoes. My husband is allergic to tomatoes, so I’ll have this ALL to myself!
OnlyPrints says
Roasted tomato and eggplant bisque makes for a comforting dish. It’s great to see how the flavors come together in a rich, satisfying way ♥
Emily says
Now that the holidays are over, it's time to get back on track with healthier meals. This is going to be one of the first ones I make this week; there's nothing like a yummy soup!
Stephanie says
This is so perfect for this time of the year! So much flavor, we get our veggies in, and it's warm to offset the arctic blast that came through Texas dropping us to 30 degrees this morning!
Kristine says
YUM! I’m always looking for a new way to use the egg plant from my garden.
Catherine Kay says
This looks delicious and would go great with grilled cheese sandwiches. Thanks for the recipe!
Olga says
Eggplants go well with tomatoes. I`ll try this bisque next week. Thank you for the recipe.
Kimberley Asante says
I love eggplant, but had never heard of eggplant soup. Totally giving this recipe a try. Thanks for sharing.
SONIA SEIVWRIGHT says
Oh my goodness, Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Bisque sounds incredible! I love that it was inspired by your mom's request. Roasting the veggies brings out their natural sweetness and creates a super flavorful and comforting soup for chilly days. I can almost imagine curling up with a bowl and feeling the warmth on my hands.
Marysa says
I have never had an eggplant soup before. The addition of the roasted tomatoes sounds amazing! Delicious, and easy to make.
James says
This really is a fantastic soup! I will usually eat with a small dollop of ricotta and some balsamic glaze drizzled on top.
Tara Teaspoon Admin says
Hi James! Thanks for leaving a comment. So glad to hear you've been enjoying the recipe. Sounds delicious with the ricotta and glaze on top!