Most soups I make are prepared using the same method; sauteing onions, garlic and veggies in a pot on the stove and then adding stock and simmering away.  This soup turns that method upside down!  I loved the concept and it sounded so easy.  Naturally, I thought, could it actually be good?

Oh yeah!  So good.  I am already a huge fan of oven roasting vegetables to eat as a side dish. Favorites are broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.  I feel roasting the vegetables really brings out their flavor, so much more than, let’s say, steaming.

The other element that I love about this soup is that it includes eggplant. Eggplant!  I haven’t come across many soup recipes with eggplant in them, have you?  To be honest, you would be hard pressed to detect the eggplant in here.  All the flavors of the vegetables blend well and are so delicious.  Even the sage, it’s there in the background, not overpowering at all.  The sage I used to make this particular pot of soup came from my garden, still going strong in December!  It is a hearty herb, that sage.

I am happy to report that this soup recipe is quite forgiving.  I think if you stick to the base vegetables (eggplant, carrots, potatoes) you can add some others (celery, parsnips) and it would be just as great.  Making this recipe would be a great way to clear out your fridge of any root veggies that might be slightly past their prime.  You can also comfortably make some substitutions. Don’t have shallots?  Add an onion instead.  Want this soup to be vegetarian?  Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Prefer it to be a touch thinner?  Add more stock.  Forgiving is good.

This roasted vegetable soup is very delicious and super comforting on a cold, snowy day (we’ve already had quite a few in the NY area).  It is very thick, so it is filling and perfect on its own for a lunch or light dinner.  And thick enough that my 3-year-old can feed herself this soup, which she loves.

Add a slice of toasted rustic bread to dip and you will be in heaven.

Here’s what you will need to serve 6-8…

Recipe

3-4 tbsp olive oil

1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped into 2 inch cubes

3 carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces

3 large shallots, quartered

6 cloves garlic, whole

2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks

6 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

3 large sage leaves

sea salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Oil the bottom of a large, rimmed sheet pan with 1 tbsp of oil (rub it around with your fingers to coat) and add everything except the sage leaves.  Add 2-3 tbsp of olive oil, salt & pepper and toss to coat.  Arrange in a single layer.

Roast for 45 minutes, flipping vegetables once or twice, ensuring they brown slightly but do not burn.  Remove pan from oven, add sage leaves on top of veggies on one side of the pan, and then pile the remaining veggies on top of the sage leaves.  The heat from the veggies will wilt the sage.  Allow to cool slightly.

In a high powered blender, add vegetables and broth in manageable batches.  Pour into a large pot, heat slightly and serve or store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Recipe adapted from Clean Eating Magazine