Roasted Eggplant Soup

Ingredients

• 7 eggplants (6-8 eggplants, roasted and minced)
• 1 cup cashews (toasted until fragrant)
• 1 white onion (chopped)
• 11 cloves garlic (chopped (10-12 cloves))
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)
• 0.5 cup cooking cream
• 10 strips bacon (chopped)
• 4 cup chicken stock (as needed for desired consistency)
• black pepper (to taste)
• parsley (to top)

Steps

1. 1

   Roast the eggplants over an open flame until the skin is completely charred and the flesh is soft.

2. 2

   Peel off the charred skin, place the eggplant flesh in a bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside to steam for several minutes.

3. 3

   In a separate pan over medium heat, toast the cashews until they are fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. 4

   In a hot pan over medium heat, add the chopped bacon strips. Render the fat and cook until the bacon is crispy and golden. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.

5. 5

   Remove the steamed eggplants from the bowl and mince the flesh finely.

6. 6

   In the same pan with the rendered bacon fat, sauté the chopped white onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant.

7. 7

   Add the minced eggplant, toasted cashews, and chicken stock to the pan. Season with fish sauce and pepper.

8. 8

   Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until completely smooth.

9. 9

   Return the blended mixture to the pan, stir in the cooking cream, and mix until well combined and heated through.

10. 10

    Garnish the soup with the reserved crispy bacon strips and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

Steaming the roasted eggplant in a covered bowl makes the skin easier to remove and helps the flesh retain moisture. Adjust the amount of chicken stock based on how thick or thin you prefer your soup.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• eggplant
• main course
• roasted
• comfort food
• savory