The weather is beginning to turn cooler, and so soup is on the menu. What's perfect about this time of year, at least around my parts, is that we still have fresh tomatoes in the garden. Basil too. This soup uses those--and eggplant. A little roasting rounds out the flavors and makes an especially tasty soup. That's not a step I am likely to take in the summer heat. Roasting in my tiny kitchen makes it too hot. But early fall? You bet. I adore the flavor of roasted veggies.
Tomato and Roasted Eggplant Soup
1/2 eggplant
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 small onion
1 tsp minced garlic
4 fresh small tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup half and half
2 tbsp fresh finely chopped basil
4 tbsp shaved Parmesan cheese
Peel eggplant and dice into half inch chunks. Toss with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Dice onion and add it to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring midway through the roasting.
Meanwhile, immerse tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and peel the skins from the tomatoes. Roughly chop and add to a soup pot. Add the broth and bay leaf. When eggplant is roasted, add it with the onions to the soup pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the half and half and fresh basil.
Divide soup among 4 bowls. Top with additional basil leaves and 1 tbsp of cheese per bowl.
Serves 4: 118 calories 6 net carbs
This is one of those meals where the side requires more attention than the protein. This soup is the unique taste. I like a simple grilled chicken breast with it, and perhaps some toasted low carb bread. Yummy good. I like to bring soup to school for my lunches too. I just pack it in a canning jar, then reheat in the microwave. Teaching at a small school this year, I eat out with the students. We don't actually have a lunch room. Some things I eat get some interesting remarks--like last month's Pumpkin Enchiladas. This one smells wonderful and looks tastier to the kids. Always better than their Lunchables!
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