Creamy Roasted Eggplant Tomato Soup
Creamy Roasted Eggplant Tomato Soup- caramelized eggplant and juicy ripe tomatoes come together for an irresistible and creamy soup that’s secretly vegan and gluten-free!
If you’re like me and you want to eat more eggplant but you don’t exactly love the texture then this eggplant tomato soup is the perfect recipe for you.
Roasting the eggplant brings out the flavor in the best way possible and combining it with ripe tomatoes, onion and garlic makes for a seasonally transitional soup that is sure to give you all the cozy autumn feels.
Creamy Roasted Eggplant Tomato Soup Ingredients
- Eggplant- I have only tested this recipe with Globe (American) eggplant and I’m not sure how using other varieties would effect the flavor as I’m not familiar with how other varieties taste. If you try it with another kind of eggplant please let us know in the comments below how it turned out!
- Tomatoes- Any kind of tomatoes will work here. Heirloom, roma, cherry, grape…doesn’t really matter. I prefer heirloom but they are so hard to find here in Athens. Oh how I miss those California heirloom tomatoes.
- Onion- I used a yellow onion and using a red may alter the color of the soup but the flavor will still be good.
- Garlic- Fresh garlic is a must here. So long as you properly coat it with oil and you don’t overcook the vegetables then you don’t have to worry about it burning.
- Basil- I personally love what fresh basil does for this soup but you can use dried basil and it is still delicious.
- Oregano- Again, fresh or dried will work here.
- Vegetable Broth- A flavorful broth is key for best results. My go-to is Better Than Bouillon.
- Raw Cashews- Soaked cashews give the soup a nice creamy texture without incorporating any obvious flavor. It’s the best dairy-free replacement for heavy cream, in my opinion. See below for how to make it nut-free.
- White Wine Vinegar– Vinegar gives a subtle tang (similar to what heavy cream would provide). I like using white wine vinegar as the fermentation infuses a bit more umami flavor.
- Salt & Pepper- Lastly, just a bit of salt & pepper to make your taste buds smile. :)
How to Make Creamy Roasted Eggplant Soup
The beauty of this soup is how simple it is to make and there is minimal clean up too!
- Roast the eggplant, tomatoes, onion and garlic on a sheet pan until caramelized and tender.
- Add to a blender with soaked cashews, vegetable broth, basil and seasonings. Blend until smooth.
- Add white wine vinegar and salt & pepper, to taste.
- Pour blended soup in a pot over medium low heat and cook until warm. Serve and enjoy!
Can it be made nut-free?
If you need to make the soup nut-free you can either omit the cashews altogether or replace them with 1/4-cup soaked sunflower seeds. Alternatively you can add 1/2 to 1-cup of coconut milk which will give it a different flavor but still provide a creamy texture.
This soup is not only super tasty but it’s a great way to use up all of those ripe end-of-summer tomatoes. Wherever you live, I hope when the weather cools down that you get a chance to try it soon! And possibly dip your favorite crusty bread or grilled cheese in it too. :)
Looking for more ways to enjoy eggplant?
- Roasted Eggplant and White Bean Dip
- Ratatouille Pasta Sauce
- Eggplant Curry with Cucumber Mint Raita
- Pasta Caponata
- Eggplant Rollatinis
Creamy Roasted Eggplant Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw cashews, see notes for substitutions
- 1 lb eggplant, stem removed and diced into 1-inch squares
- 2 lbs tomatoes , stem removed and diced into 1-inch squares
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- high heat oil spray
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 8 fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or tamari (soy sauce)
- salt & pepper , to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from heat, add the cashews and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Distribute the chopped eggplant, tomatoes, onion, and garlic among the baking sheets and spray with high heat oil. Transfer the baking sheets to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Once the roasted vegetables have cooled down, transfer them to a blender. Drain the soaked cashews then add them to the blender along with the vegetable broth, and herbs. Blend on high until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar and blend. Taste test to see if you prefer to add more. Add salt & pepper to taste.
- In a large pot, add the blended soup. Warm over low heat until heated through. Serve and enjoy!
It’s a brisk 49 degrees here in Minnesota this morning so I am all about the soup! I never know what to do with eggplant so this recipe is perfect for me! Looks delicious and I’m pretty sure it IS breaking the internet ;)
Send some of that cool weather our way, mama! :)
I LOVE that you added cashews to creamify this soup! That’s such a creative idea! :D And it was quite cool this morning here in CT so this soup is perfectly timed :)
YUUUUUUUHS! The eggplant soup you were telling me about! I must make this! And FTR, I’ll this whether or not it’s hot outside..I just love a good bowl of soup! I’m sensing the internet breaking as I type these words, ha!
Bahaha I think you should totally rename this to the soup that’s going to break the internet!! It’s been crazy hot by us too but I am so ready for soup! Totally adding this to my meal plan next week! I love finding new ways to use eggplant!
I died laughing when he said that because it was so ridiculous! lol
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Can I use non-raw cashews like from a tin if they are unflavored and unsalted?
That’s a good question, Alexus! I’ve never tried soaking roasted cashews so I’m not 100% sure but my guess is that it would work the same. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it that way!
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This soups sound great I was wondering if I can put in ball jars and can it for next year?
Hi Cathi! I’m not sure. I don’t have any experience with canning. It might be something you can find an answer to if you Google it. :)
I can my tomato soup as long as there’s no dairy, so this should work.
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This soup is absolutely delicious! My husband is not a soup eater so I gave him a cup to eat with his steak while my daughter and I pigged out on it. He came back looking for leftovers, lol. I just made it again only doubled the recipe. Taking some to my college vegetarian daughter. Thanks for a great healthy alternative. YUM
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for the feedback, Liz! :)
This was so yummy! I didn’t have any raw cashews on hand so I just made it without, but it was really creamy tasting anyway. It was a great way to use up some tomatoes and eggplant from my garden too. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m happy to hear it’s still good without the cashews! Thanks for the feedback, Jillian!
Has anyone calculated the nutrition for this recipe yet?
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Made this to the recipe and it just came out perfect. So simple and delicious. Thank you :)
So happy to hear that! Thank you for the comment!
Can this be frozen if it is not eaten right away?
Hi Jen! I haven’t tried freezing it but I don’t think it would be a problem. Please let me know if you do!
Hello, do you have to bake it? Or can I just saute it?
I recommend roasting it for the best flavor but you are welcome to saute it if you like. Just make sure it is soft enough to blend.
Delicious! I skipped the tamari, and it was excellent!
Thank you, Patrice!
Your husband is right, or at least this SHOULD be the soup breaking the Internet. It is yummy deliciousness itself, so maybe “Umami Soup”? I can’t stop dipping into it. It’s definitely being saved onto my Favourite Recipes Board and will become a regular on our table. Thanks for creating it, Sarah.
Haha! My husband will love it when I read him your comment. :)
Thank you for the review, Donna!
I am making this delicious sounding soup this week. I’m new to vegan cooking and loving all of your recipes. Can you tell me if the eggplant needs to be peeled before cooking or do the peels get thrown in with all the other ingredients.
Thanks for your amazing blog.
Hi Frances! I’m so glad you found me and that you are enjoying cooking vegan! :)
The eggplant does not need to be peeled. The skin will get blended in the blender and you won’t notice it.
I made this for our vegan dinner club get together last night.
It got rave reviews from EVERYONE. Even the dog who got to ‘pre-wash’ the dishes before they went into the dishwasher just about licked the pattern off the plate. I think a few of the diners would have liked to have done the same.
I couldn’t take all the compliments and kudos and not pass them on to you. Great, easy recipe. I especially loved the fact that I didn’t have to peel the eggplant……a job I despise.
My husband, who has just finally decided to join me in this vegan way of life is on his way into town as I type this to pick up some eggplant so he can have this soup for his lunch tomorrow.
Thanks so much.
This comment made my day. Thank you so much, Frances!
This was amazing. Easy to make and very filling. My husband loved it. Thank you for a unique, healthy and very tasty soup recipe. I am so glad I ran across this when I was searching for an eggplant recipe.
Thank you for the feedback, Patty!
What do you soak the cashews in?
Sorry I didn’t elaborate on that, Danielle! You are supposed to soak them in water. I’ve found that if you using boiling hot water you only have to soak them for 30 minutes. I just added it to the directions. :)
Hi Sarah, This looks AMAZING! I have a question. Tomatoes are out of season for me right now and I can’t find great ones at the store or at my farm stand. Could I substitute with canned tomatoes? If so, should I use canned whole tomatoes or should I used canned diced tomotoes and drain them? And how much should I use? I’m sure it would be the best with fresh tomatoes but I really want to try the recipe soon so I may have to use canned. Thanks!
Hey Kimberly! Canned tomatoes should work. I would use whole tomatoes and dice them. Make sure to drain them well. As far as the amount I think 28-ounces would be about the same. It’s hard to say for sure but I’d start with that amount and see how it turns out. I hope that helps!
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I’ve made two batches of this soup and it is absolutely delicious! I gave two (omni) colleagues a taste and they said it was amazing! Would highly recommend and freezes well
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for the review, Poppy!
This was SO good!! I only wish I made more :)
Super delicious!
Someone told me to make eggplant soup by poking with a fork and roasting an American eggplant (325F, 1hour long!) until it’s cimpletel cooked and lost half its size. Then blend it with chicken broth.
After my eggplant was cooked, I thought the soup would be bland if adding only chicken broth so I searched a recipe and came across this one. My hubby is vegan so this recipe is perfect, especially I already bought some raw cashew nuts for another recipe but hadn’t used them.
I used 3/4 of a Roma tomato because that was all I had in hand, 1/3 of a red onion, a huge garlic clove, cut them I pieces, coated with a little olive oil and roasted them a little charred to get the flavor. In the meantime, I soaked a handful of raw cashews for maybe an hour or more.
I blended the roasted onion, tomato pieces and cashew nuts, half teaspoon of homegrown dehydrated oregano and vegetable broth to the consistency I like. Then cook the concoction on low heat, added a pinch of cayenne pepper. I never had any eggplant soup this good!
Thank you so much for this awesome vegan recipe.
I swapped out the basil and oregano for cumin and ground ginger. Was fantastic!
Realized that I never commented on this recipe. It is so good! I make it in the summer with tomatoes and eggplant from the garden and freeze it to have in the cooler months. Freezes well and tastes wonderfully fresh! Thank you for the recipe!
Having made this soup every year for the past (at least) 5 years, I figured it was time to leave a comment. It’s a great way to use the extra egg plant from the CSA. I have fed it to multiple families and they have alll enjoyed it! My pickiest kid who hates everything is willing to have a cup (but that’s the limit for him). :) I should also mention that we are a family of tomato haters, but love this annual soup.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating. It is greatly appreciated!
I have a baby eggplant (looks more like a teenager to me) sitting in my counter. I was wondering what to do with it…
The flavor is amazing. The only issue I had some of the eggplant skin did not blend up so I have to keep picking it out. Next time I will cut off the skin before blending.
It is likely your blender was not able to properly break down the skin. Using a high speed blender is most ideal for this recipe.