Grilled Eggplant Soup
We’re still in grilling season, but the days are getting cooler…this clearly calls for a batch of Grilled Eggplant Soup!
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Sometime back in the middle of the summer, we were walking through the mall with one of our friends. She was hungry and decided to drop into a healthy cafe for a snack. While she ordered a smoothie, I perused the menu. I wasn’t hungry, but I do think about food all day every day. So it was only natural that I read the menu for fun…tell me I’m not the only one who does this!
I noticed that the special of the day was Eggplant Soup. I thought this was a bit odd because it was the middle of summer, and a hot bowl of soup just doesn’t sound terribly awesome when it was somewhere north of 90°F outside. But I did stash that idea away for later in the year. Well, later in the year has arrived, and I’ve determined that it’s now an appropriate time of the year to serve Eggplant Soup.
Autumn in upstate New York brings crisp, cool nights and warm(ish) days. Since we’re still well within grilling season, I decided to grill up the eggplant first. (C’mon, are you surprised that I decided to use the grill for this recipe? Our grill is well-loved around here…just as long as it’s not -10°F outside.)
Grilled Eggplant Soup
This recipe couldn’t be easier either! Just slice the eggplant and brush it with some olive oil and herbs. Once it’s got those nice grill marks on it, toss it into a pot with some chicken (or veggie) stock. Puree that bad boy up and you’ve got a tasty, comforting soup for the chilly days ahead! (And the grill flavor is most definitely noticeable in this soup.)
Unfortunately, eggplant is not the most attractive of veggies. Sure, a whole eggplant with its deep purple skin is gorgeous. But the inside of an eggplant? Eh, not as gorgeous. To solve the problem of serving a plain bowl of brownish soup, I garnished it up with some freshly chopped parsley and a bit of crumbled feta. (On a side note, we love feta cheese around here…so it’s no surprise that I went straight to the feta when I needed something to garnish this soup!)
As our days get cooler, enjoy the last bit of grilling season with this Grilled Eggplant Soup. It’s a healthy and delicious way to balance out the comfort food desserts that are sure to appear now that baking season is upon us! Enjoy!
If you make a batch of this eggplant soup, come back and leave a comment! I’d love to hear your thoughts. Or just snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog).
Looking for more tasty soups and stews? Check out these other favorites:
Hearty Beef & Vegetable Stew
French Onion Soup
Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Soup
Skinny Asparagus Soup
Rustic Zucchini Stew
Grilled Eggplant Soup
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants approx ~2-2½ pounds each
- 5 Tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 medium tomatoes halved
- 1 medium onion peeled and halved
- 6 garlic cloves peeled and halved
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar divided
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- {optional garnish} chopped parsley and crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Slice eggplants into ½” slices. In a small dish, combine 3 Tbsp of olive oil with thyme, salt and pepper. Brush each slice of eggplant with this olive oil mixture.
- Using aluminum foil, create a foil pouch and add the tomatoes, onion and garlic. Drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil along with 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Seal pouch tightly and place on grill for 5 minutes.
- After about 5 minutes, add eggplant slices to the grill. Grill eggplants, turning occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until tender.
- Meanwhile, bring stock to a simmer in a large stockpot. Once grilled, add the eggplant slices and contents of foil pouch. (Note: If onions and tomatoes are not soft at this point, leave the pouch on the grill for a few more minutes.)
- Using a stick blender, puree until smooth. Stir in remaining 1 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar.
- Garnish bowls with chopped parsley and crumbled feta cheese before serving.
This sounds great! I admit I haven’t ever thought about eggplant soup before, seems like it is time to change that 😉
For sure, Lauren! This eggplant soup was really darned tasty! I didn’t know what to expect, but we loved it for easy, healthy lunches. 🙂
Haha – no – you are not the only one who reads a menu for fun – Lil Shashi and I do it often – though sometimes I think she is pretending to look at the menu while she is really peering in to check for cute waitstaff!
You are spot on – the insides of eggplants can be hard on the eyes – but, when they are in soup like this – they are gorgeous! I must say, I’ve never heard of a grilled eggplant soup – I love how this soup is a fusion of summer’s grilling and fall’s soup-loving!
Oooo…that lil Shashi. She’s a sneaky one, I tell ya! I had no idea how this one would turn out, but I figured let’s give it a whirl and see what happens. We loved it!!
Nope, you’re not the only one who scrutininizes a menu, David! I mean, someone has spent a lot of time while developing it so we should pay some respect and read it, right?:) Besides, you can always find some awesome ideas! Indeed, I made eggplant pureed soup few years back (I don’t know why, but it was called ‘Turkish’), and it was so good! Thanks for reminding me – I’ve got to make it again!
Absolutely, Ben! We need to respect those menu creators…by reading their menus and then recreating the dish back home! 🙂 I was pleasantly surprised with eggplant soup…and the grilled twist added a fun layer of flavor!
Hi David! There are not enough recipes for eggplant out there. I love grilled eggplant and this is on point! I’d want a nice chunk (yes, chunk) of rustic bread to dip in this! I admit I read menus just for the fun of it – I even go online and check out restaurant menus to see if I really want to go there!
I agree, Dorothy! I feel like eggplant gets the short end of the stick when it comes to recipes. And a chunk of rustic bread? I think I’ll see your chunk and raise you a baguette. The whole thing. 🙂
you are definitely not the only one David! I read menus too all the time! This soup looks yum, eggplant is one of my favorite veggie. it’s really cold here so this soup is what I need for dinner tonight!
Yeah, it was warm here for the first half of September…but the mornings are downright cold now! Perfect soup season! Thanks, Manali! 🙂
Grilled Eggplant soup….I’ve never heard of this before and think it’s genius- You’d have the entire Persian nation salivating (or my mum and grandma, at least)! Seriously, such a unique recipe and I am so guilty of reading menus too when I’m out and getting ideas or sometimes losing my appetite (smoked chicken dessert pizza…WTF)
Oh no! I can’t be responsible for making my mum mad! I bet the Persians invented grilled eggplant, and I totally offended your mum! …and smoked chicken dessert pizza? Gross.
Eggplant soup? That is genius! I love courgette soup, so I bet that would be similar. Really great recipe David!
You and your courgettes, Dannii! I had to Google that one before I remembered that courgette = zucchini. Haha! But yes, this is a fun and delicious soup. Perfect for these chilly Autumn days!
You don’t know how happy this recipe makes me. Eggplants are one of my favorite things to eat, but I’ve never tried making a soup with it. Can’t wait to make this.
Oh you should totally give this soup a shot, Erlene! It’s a fun combination between summer grilling and Autumn soups…and it’s super healthy, too! 🙂
You are totally not the only one! Thank you for this delicious recipe! This is going to make my husband very happy. He could eat eggplant every day!
Ah…another eggplant lover I see! This is a really fun soup for this early Autumn days when the grill is still out but its getting kinda cold. I hope your husband enjoys it! Thanks, Lauren!!
I don’t think I could make a bowl of eggplant soup look as amazing as you did! I mean, I am drooling over this! I definitely want to give this a go sometime! 😀
Hahaha…thank you so much, Kennedy! I literally looked at that bowl of brown soup, and I was like “uh oh”! But it’s so darned tasty! 🙂
You really did make what could have been a drab soup look pretty! I’m sure it tastes delicious as well. And yes, I read menus too so you are not alone. 🙂
Thank you so much, Tamara! Laura and I both loved this soup…here’s to reading menus when you’re bored! 🙂
I am a crazy eggplant lover. I ADORE it.
How have I never had it in a soup before!?!?!?!
Cannot wait to try!!
I know! This is a super unique recipe, but it’s really quite tasty. The grilled flavor really comes through. This would be perfect for your neck of the woods as it’s probably getting chilly enough for soup but it’s still grilling season. Thanks, Alexandra!! 🙂