Baked Eggplant Cream Soup
4 servings
60 minutes
Roasted eggplant cream soup is a refined dish of Bulgarian cuisine that combines a velvety texture with the deep, rich flavor of roasted vegetables. Eggplants roasted to softness acquire a sweet, slightly smoky hue that is beautifully complemented by the aroma of fresh thyme and the spiciness of chili pepper. Vegetable broth and coconut milk give the soup tenderness and a creamy consistency, while sheep cheese and crunchy crackers enrich the taste with salty and textural notes. This dish is perfect for cozy lunches on cool days and pairs wonderfully with white wine or fresh bread. Bulgarian chefs highly value such soups for their simplicity and elegance, making them an excellent choice for family meals and festive tables.
1
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2
Brush the eggplants and tomatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, and bake with a halved (unpeeled) head of garlic for 40 minutes, turning the eggplant to the other side after 20 minutes.
- Eggplants: 2 pieces
- Tomatoes: 4 pieces
- Olive oil: 4 tablespoons
- Salt: to taste
- Garlic: 1 head
3
Cool the vegetables to a state where they can be processed.
4
Prepare vegetable broth in any convenient way, we will need about 0.5–0.7 liters, depending on the desired consistency.
5
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, discarding the skin. Peel the garlic, chop the onion into medium pieces, and cut the tomatoes into quarters.
- Eggplants: 2 pieces
- Garlic: 1 head
- Red onion: 1 head
- Tomatoes: 4 pieces
6
Place the vegetables in a blender, add half of the thyme leaves (reserve the other half for garnish) and chili pepper to taste after removing the seeds from the pod, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Fresh thyme: 6 stems
- Chili pepper: 1 piece
- Olive oil: 4 tablespoons
7
Blend until smooth with 1–1.5 ladles of broth.
- Vegetable broth: 700 ml
8
Pour into a pot, add the remaining broth and coconut milk, season with salt and pepper, and if the soup is not spicy enough, it's great to add salt with thyme or Sichuan pepper.
- Vegetable broth: 700 ml
- Coconut milk: 0.5 jar
- Salt: to taste
- Sichuan pepper: pinch
9
Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.
10
For the dressing, crush unsalted crackers in a mortar and finely chop soft sheep cheese like chevrot, or any other soft sheep or goat cheese (it will add a salty note to the soup).
- Sheep cheese: 50 g
- Crackers: 4 pieces
11
In each plate, add crackers and sheep cheese, and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.
- Fresh thyme: 6 stems