Success! I created this Roasted Eggplant Tomato Soup at my mom's request, and it is every bit as good as the dish she dreamed of. Both tomatoes and eggplant are roasted with garlic to create a rich flavor for a thick, pureed soup.
Make this 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.
Jump to:
Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Soup
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!
Behind the scenes
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.
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!
Expert tip:
I use an immersion blender to puree it right in the pot, but you can process it in batches in a blender or food processor too. If you're using a Vitamix or Blendtec just pulse the mixture to keep the lovely texture of the eggplant and whole tomatoes. These machines are amazing and will puree the soup into a texture-less liquid in no time!
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.
For this stew 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.
Rate this recipe! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scroll to the bottom of the page to rate and comment on this recipe. Leaving comments, questions, and ratings helps other too!
📖 Recipe
Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Bisque
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 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. 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.
- 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
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 Bench. Photographer Blaine Moats. Prop Stylist Carol Linnan. Originally published in LHJ 2/08. Updated 11/11/24.
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.