The cold eggplant soup is a tasty and refreshing summer first course, a kind of dense and creamy summer soup, flavored and garnished with typical Mediterranean ingredients: diced cherry tomatoes, basil, mint, oregano, and parmesan flakes. A very simple but impressive recipe, ideal for fighting the heat and offering your loved ones a cold first course different from the usual pasta salads or rice salads. Traditional Mediterranean cuisine offers various versions of eggplant cream: the Turkish and Lebanese babaganoush, the Greek melitzanosalata, and the “eggplant caviar“, which is very popular in Sicily. However, these versions are usually used as “dips,” served as appetizers or to accompany meat and meatballs. In contrast, the cold eggplant soup can be served as a soup, just like the Andalusian gazpacho, perhaps accompanied by toasted bread croutons. It is a refreshing and nutritious dish that will surprise and delight your guests during the hot summer days.
You might also like:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 264.41 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 31.81 (g) of which sugars 14.20 (g)
- Proteins 7.10 (g)
- Fat 14.08 (g) of which saturated 1.73 (g)of which unsaturated 0.77 (g)
- Fibers 11.17 (g)
- Sodium 509.85 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 300 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Eggplant Gazpacho
- 1.54 lbs black oval eggplants
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- A few leaves mint
- A few leaves basil
- 0.85 cup water (very cold)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.41 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch oregano
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.41 oz bread (for me gluten-free)
- as desired Parmesan flakes
Tools
- 1 Microwave Oven
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Mixer large
- 1 Grater large holes
- 1 Garlic Press
How to Prepare Eggplant Gazpacho
To prepare the cold eggplant soup, you will need the cooked pulp of the eggplants: to obtain it, the best method, especially in summer, is to cook the eggplants in the microwave as indicated here. If you don’t have a microwave, you can cook them in the oven: in both cases, after washing and drying them, pierce them with a fork in several places (1).
If using the traditional oven, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook at 392°F for about 45 minutes, turning them halfway through, until soft and wilted (2). Let them cool slightly, then peel them (3).
If you like, add a crushed garlic clove with the garlic press (6). Add the water to the mixer as well (7). If you add very cold water straight from the refrigerator, you will shorten the resting times and can enjoy your cold eggplant soup almost immediately.
Blend thoroughly until you have a thick and homogeneous mixture (8). According to taste, you can dilute it more if it seems too thick. Let the eggplant soup rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into very small pieces (9).
Transfer them into a bowl and season with salt, oregano, and oil (10). Mix well. Toast the bread slices and cut them into cubes to make croutons. Grate the parmesan cheese with a large-hole grater or make flakes with a vegetable peeler. Shortly before serving the eggplant soup, divide it into 2 single-serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with the diced cherry tomatoes and some of their oil, a few fresh basil leaves, bread croutons, and parmesan flakes (11).
Serve the cold eggplant soup immediately. With these quantities, you will get two nice bowls of soup, suitable to be served as a first course for two people. Alternatively, if you want to serve the soup as an appetizer in smaller bowls, the quantities are enough for 4 people.
Storage
You can store the eggplant gazpacho in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.
Tips and Variations
You can season the dish with your preferred herbs: in addition to or instead of those indicated, you can use thyme, marjoram, or chives.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I use instead of parmesan cheese?
You can also use salted ricotta or hard ricotta for this recipe, which, with its salty taste, contrasts well with the sweetness of the eggplants.
