On our two recent Winter Yoga Day Retreats on Cannock Chase we walked and yoga'd up an appetite. Our well-deserved lunchtime soup was delivered and it was ... Aubergine Soup. Aubergine?? I thought. But I'm HUNGRY! I've not had a good relationship in the past with tasteless, soggy aubergine.
BUT this soup was delicious and nutritious; it made my tummy warm and my heart happy!
So I consulted my amazing soup book (New Covent Garden Food Co. "A Soup for Every Day") for an aubergine soup and made a few adjustments so I could whip it up quickly.
Here you go. Spoons at the ready, set, yum!
If you want to go vegan, swap chicken stock for veggie stock, and swap the cream for a tin of cannelini beans for a bit more creaminess. Blend well.
1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a big pot.
2. Roughly chop and add 450g aubergine, an onion & a clove of garlic. Cook for 20 minutes without browning.
3. Roughly chop 1 roasted red pepper (use a jarred one to avoid the charring, steaming & peeling faff).
4. Make a litre of stock and add 1 cupful to the aubergine mixture. Add the red pepper, 2 tablespoons of single cream and a bit of chilli oil for some oomph if you like. Add the beans too if you're using them. Blend it all together until smooth.
5. Add the remaining stock, stir and get your bread, crackers or popcorn* ready for dipping!
* In South America, soup is served with popcorn rather than bread. More fibre and more filling. And listening to popcorn pop is one of the best sounds. It'll stay fresh in a sealed container from the night before if you're packing a lunch.
BUT this soup was delicious and nutritious; it made my tummy warm and my heart happy!
So I consulted my amazing soup book (New Covent Garden Food Co. "A Soup for Every Day") for an aubergine soup and made a few adjustments so I could whip it up quickly.
Here you go. Spoons at the ready, set, yum!
If you want to go vegan, swap chicken stock for veggie stock, and swap the cream for a tin of cannelini beans for a bit more creaminess. Blend well.
1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a big pot.
2. Roughly chop and add 450g aubergine, an onion & a clove of garlic. Cook for 20 minutes without browning.
3. Roughly chop 1 roasted red pepper (use a jarred one to avoid the charring, steaming & peeling faff).
4. Make a litre of stock and add 1 cupful to the aubergine mixture. Add the red pepper, 2 tablespoons of single cream and a bit of chilli oil for some oomph if you like. Add the beans too if you're using them. Blend it all together until smooth.
5. Add the remaining stock, stir and get your bread, crackers or popcorn* ready for dipping!
* In South America, soup is served with popcorn rather than bread. More fibre and more filling. And listening to popcorn pop is one of the best sounds. It'll stay fresh in a sealed container from the night before if you're packing a lunch.