Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Bisque with Basil Pesto

Well, it's Pantry Week again round here in the 28 Cooks kitchen. Not only do I have a bounty of odd grains, beans, and fresh vegetables, but I love the challenge of creatively using them up.

This winter, I have been in love with roasted vegetable soups. I've been making the roasted tomato soup with reckless abandon and I will be posting a wonderful caramelized onion soup later this week.

I had 2 eggplants languishing on my kitchen counter and really had no idea how to use them. As I was getting ready to roast some tomatoes to make yet another batch of my favorite bisque, I thought I'd kick it up with some roasted eggplant as well.

Whoa. This is amazingly delicious! Not only is is extremely easy with only about 20 minutes of active cooking time, but the ingredient list is simplistically short. But the best part? The flavor tastes as though you've been working on this soup for hours.

So go ahead and give this soup a try. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.



Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Bisque with Basil Pesto
Serves 4-6

2 small eggplants, peeled and halved
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
4-5 tomatoes, quartered
8 cloves garlic, peeled
A few tbsp olive oil
3 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp prepared basil pesto
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 13x9 pan, place eggplant, onion, tomatoes, and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven for 60 minutes, flipping eggplant halfway through. Remove from oven. Pour into a large stockpot over medium heat. Add broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup to desired texture. Stir in vinegar and pesto, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy.