Roasted Eggplant And Garlic Soup Recipe

How to make it

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• Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and place it, cut side down, on a jelly roll pan lined with aluminum foil. Add about 1/2 cup (120 ml) water to the pan. Bake the eggplant at 375F (190C) for about 30 minutes, until it is very tender. Let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Dig out the flesh of the eggplant with a spoon and place it in a blender or food processor. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins into the eggplant and puree them both together. Transfer the puree to a soup pot.
• Stir in the stock and simmer the soup for 10 minutes or so. Add some of the garlic flavored olive oil, if you like. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix the vinegar, tarragon, and cracked pepper together in a small bowl. Ladle the soup into heated bowls and add about one teaspoon (5 ml) of the vinegar mixture to each bowl. Serve hot. Garnish with toasted croutons.
• ROASTED GARLIC: 1 whole garlic head, 1/2 cup (120ml) olive oil, 2 or 3 thyme springs, 1 bay leaf, salt and freshly ground pepper. Preheat the oven to 250F (120C). Break the garlic head into cloves; leave the inner skins on them. Place them in a small oven-proof dish and add the olive oil, thyme, and bay leaf. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake the garlic until it is very tender, from 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the gloves. Turn the cloves over from time to time. Remove from the oven and let the garlic cool to room temperature.