Roasted tomato, aubergine and chickpea soup
When tomatoes are in season I always buy a lot at farmers’s markets to make chutneys and base sauces/broths for the autumn. I particularly like roasting or grilling them, as they develop a slightly smoky flavour which is perfect for Mexican-style meals or soups. I made this roasted tomato, aubergine and chickpea soup with a pre-cooked sauce. It’s really yummy – I’ll certainly make it again from the other portion I put in the freezer.
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the tomatoes in half, the onion into 4 wedges. Put them in a baking tin.
- Cut the aubergine into chunks and tuck these between the tomato pieces together with the chilli and garlic cloves (with skin on).
- Dust the veggies with the spices, drizzle with the oil and bake in a preheated oven ( set to 180°C) for about 30 minutes. After 20 minutes turn them over, season with salt and pepper, then bake for a further 10-15 minutes, until the veggies are soft and slightly charred.
- Let the veggies cool in the tin, then remove & discard the skin of the onion and garlic. Remove the stem of the chilli (and the seeds too if you don’t want the soup punchy).
- Put all the veggies, including the cooking jus, into a blender and whiz until you get a thick sauce.
- Keep this in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to make the soup, or pour it straight into a saucepan to continue.
- Add the stock, a handful of coriander leaves and half of the drained chickpeas and bring to the boil. Using a stick blender, blitz the soup until smooth or textured. If it’s too thick, add more stock. Taste it and adjust the seasoning.
- Add the remaining chickpeas and reheat.
- Serve warm.