“It’s her fault!” I could proclaim to the judge and jury, throwing platefuls of moussaka and veggie stacks onto the courtroom floor à la Matt Preston in that awful choreographed Masterchef moment. “She never gave me eggplant as a child! Her allergies left me out in the cold, eggplant-wise!”
Roasted eggplants, tinged blue by Smurf Kitchen.
Such an accusation would, however, be unfounded. My mother is also allergic to tomatoes, but you’ll never see me shying away from a puttanesca or a bouillabaisse. Nor can she eat peanuts, and yet we all know about my flavoured peanut butter addiction. (What? It’s better than being addicted to crack.)
In all honesty, I can’t tell you why I’ve never enjoyed eggplant. All I know is that its spongy texture gives me the heebie jeebies, and so I have avoided it as much as possible.
Eggplant getting naked.
Several days ago, I decided it was high time to give eggplant another shot. To feel the fear and do it anyway. Sure, I avoided the textural issue by roasting the eggplants then pureeing them with spices and tahini, but you know what? This was a good move. I can now say that I quite enjoy eggplant… in a certain format. Time will tell how I fare when meeting it alone in a darkened alley. Or grilled in a panini. Whichever comes first.
The soup.
Roasted Eggplant and Tahini Soup
Serves 4 – adapted from The Australian Women’s Weekly Essential Soup Cookbook
- 1.2kg whole eggplant
- 1 tb olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tsps ground cumin
- 1.25 litres (5 cups) vegetable stock
- 2 tb tahini
- 2 tb lemon juice
- natural yogurt, or vegan subsitute, to serve. And if you’re me, red chilli flakes and/or Tabasco, to serve.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (375°F).
- Prick eggplants all over with a fork, then place on a greased oven tray and roast until soft, about 1 hour. Peel once the eggplants are cool enough to touch (we don’t want any burnt fingers now, do we?), then chop coarsely.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion, garlic, and cumin until onion is softened and mix is fragrant. Add in eggplant and stock, bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, then blend or process until pureed. (Do this either in batches in a food processor/blender, or with a handheld blender stick thingamajig that goes directly into the pot. I loves me that thingamajig.)
- Reheat soup in saucepan with tahini and lemon juice. Divide between bowls and dollop with natural yogurt.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you are my perfect woman.
Eggplant done well is amazing. AMAZING. I never thought I liked it, but then realised that I’d just never had it served in a way that didn’t COMPLETELY SUCK.
I love it absolutely drowned in olive oil… cooked so that its texture is more akin to butter than vegetable. Preferably then lovingly placed atop pizza/pasta. Also loooovee tempura eggplant. Oh god. Help meeee.
Didya ever snort jelly crystals in school? fun times.
No wait, it was sherbert.
Haha good move! And yes I agree that being addicted to peanut butter is better than crack. although I think mainlining PB (ie eating it with a spoon) is a harder habit to break!
sounds yummy, like babganoush soup
When I was younger I loved eggplants… then I hated them… and now I love them again! I can’t say I’ve ever had eggplant soup though – for some reason that gives me the heebi jeebies?! Oddity!
I need to get one of those thingimajigs! A lack of one is the reason we rarely have smooth soup, I just can’t be bothered cleaning the food processor.
Tim hates eggplants, damn his hide, but this soup could be just the thing, and I do have tahini in the fridge…sounds SO yum.
oh I’ve never seen anything like that -sounds great!
And, really, it’s not fair to blame me (which you fortunately retracted) because I loved to make Moussaka (once upon a time). Anyhow, I shall just admire this one from afar.
L-Izzle: I’ll help you… to the nearest izakaya, where I shall watch you turn to jelly before tempura, then steal all your sea salt truffles whilst you’re incapacitated. That’s what your perfect woman would do, right?
Fiona: Dear heavens, no. I think the naughtiest thing I ever did at school was sneak into the cooking rooms with friends during winter, so that we could heat our food up in the microwaves. Snorting sherbert… that must’ve been fizzy.
Lorraine: *bursts out laughing* I am absolutely NOT joking when I say I just finished scraping clean my jar of Cinnamon Raisin pb with a spoon. Are you outside my window right now?
K: Hey, you’re right! Oooh… perhaps babaganoush should be my next eggplant foray!
Agnes: Teehee, I’m so in love with the fact I got you to say heebie jeebies. That phrase simply is not used enough these days! But this works – I’ll eat all the pureed eggplants, you can eat the spongy ones.
Laura: Tahini is fast becoming one of my current addictions (see above cinnamon raisin pb comment for why I’m feeling a bit ODed on pb…). You could tell Tim it’s zucchini soup… he might not be able to tell… It’ll be like hiding carrots in spaghetti bolognaise!
Simply Life: It was surprising good!
Whisperinggums: You know I could never truly cast you in a negative light! You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me haaaaapppppyyyy…. when you bring me pistachios and almond butter and chocolate on Wednesday…
Chocolates, chocolates, who wants cholocates when you are getting a lift at the cold start of day!
Chocolates, chocolates, who wants cholocates when you are getting a lift at the cold start of day!
I blame E and his eggplant aversion for keeping them out of the kitchen most of the time – but I think it is the fact that when they are good they are excellent (and usually full of oil) and when not excellent they are horrid – but I think eggplant and tahini is always a good match and love the idea of it in soup
I blame E and his eggplant aversion for keeping them out of the kitchen most of the time – but I think it is the fact that when they are good they are excellent (and usually full of oil) and when not excellent they are horrid – but I think eggplant and tahini is always a good match and love the idea of it in soup
Whisperinggums: You have a point there…
Johanna: It seems that eggplant aversion is more common than I thought! Your comment makes me think of that old rhyme: “There was a little girl who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead… when she was good she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid!” Maybe someone should have fed her tahini
Whisperinggums: You have a point there…
Johanna: It seems that eggplant aversion is more common than I thought! Your comment makes me think of that old rhyme: “There was a little girl who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead… when she was good she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid!” Maybe someone should have fed her tahini
Great photos Hannah. I am always looking for ways to use eggplant as it grows so well during our hot summers and my kids, despite being fed it often, are not fans.
Great photos Hannah. I am always looking for ways to use eggplant as it grows so well during our hot summers and my kids, despite being fed it often, are not fans.
If you like roasted eggplant, you should really try making baingan bharta. Although I do love me some baba ganoush. And the thingamajig. I probably couldn’t live without it. (The thingamajig, not baba ganoush.)
I really love your tahini recipe. It sounds really tasty! What a great comfort food!
I have never had egg plant before. I am too scared. I don’t know what my deal is. But that dish looks good, time to face my fear!
Tammy: Thank you so much! I lack any and all photogrpahy know-how so that’s very nice to hear
Camille: Yes, I should
Or, rather, you should make it with your own beloved thingamajig and send it express-post to me (okay, so I know it doesn’t really require the thingamajig, but I just like writing thinagamajig). Except, of course, Customs would definitely steal it. There goes that life plan.
Tes: Comfort food is a good description! It’s certainly a lovely warming dish for winter right now!
The Hungry Scholar: I think this recipe is the least-scary way to ease us eggplant-phobes into eggplant-acceptance. Let me know how you go if you try it!
I have a hard time liking eggplant too. Puréed is also the only way I’m (so far) able to stand it.
The soup sounds good, and a little more up-my-alley than the kangaroo stew! ;P
Amber: You’re right, pureed kangaroo wouldn’t be too pleasant
I had no idea there were so many of us eggplant-tenuous peeps out there!
Eggplant just wants to be your friend. It’s so lovely and round and cuddly! Plus it’s purple! PURPLE!
Conor: So was the one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater, and look what happened with THAT.