Get ready for garlicky goodness with this eggplant, tomato and collard greens soup. I improvised this recipe on a random Sunday when my husband came home with one too many eggplants from the farmer’s market. As much as I love eggplants, they sometimes get lost in the back of my refrigerator. In order to avoid wasting, I figured I should make something right away. I gathered what I already had in the house and got to work. It turned into this fabulous soup that is now one of my favourite recipes. The soup is rich but also light, thanks to the combo of veggies and coconut milk. It the perfect bowl of comfort to warm you up for the fall season.
The recipe below will make about four to six portions, which can be served as a side or with some toast or grilled cheese to make it a complete meal. It’s pretty easy to prepare and only requires a little advance prep to roast eggplant. If you’ve got a barbeque, roast this on the grill for an extra smokey aroma.
Roasted Eggplant with Collard Greens
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1.5 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups collard greens shredded, stems removes
Instructions
Oven-roast the eggplant
- Cut the eggplant lengthwise into two equal pieces. Lay them flat over a lightly greased baking pan with the fleshy side down.
- Bake eggplant at 375 °F for 25 to 35 mins. It's ready when the fleshy insides are very tender.
- Using a large spoon, scoop out the fleshy insides and discard the peel. Set aside.
Prepare the soup
- Warm olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and celery, sauté until softened.
- Mix in garlic, smoked paprika and thyme. Continue to sauté for another minute.
- Mix in tomatoes and roasted eggplant, let cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 15 to 25 minutes.
- Using a hand bender, blend soup into a smooth puree. If you don't have a hand blender, let cool, add to a stand blender and back.
- Add coconut milk and collard greens, cover and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until greens are tender.
