Spiced Vegan Eggplant Soup with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
With summer officially over (sigh) but eggplants still plentiful, it’s the perfect time of year to enjoy this vegan eggplant soup. Made with roasted eggplants and tomatoes, this soup is made more filling with the addition of chickpeas. This soup is generously spiced with cardamom, ginger, and cumin for a rich, complex, and warming flavor. It is thick and creamy, with bites of eggplant, tomato, and chickpea, all brightened a little with fresh parsley. Enjoy on its own, or pair with a crusty bread.
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All about Eggplants
Did you know there are many different varieties of eggplant, with different colors (white, purple, black, green, and striped or spackled) and shapes and sizes (from small Thai eggplants to huge and bulbous Beatrice eggplants). I have yet to find an eggplant that I didn’t like, but some of them have different applications they’re better for because of their shape, size, and how they cook. Some eggplants turn quickly to mush and might be great for a baba ghanoush, but others hold their form a little better and might be more suited for an eggplant parm (vegan, of course). This particular recipe is made with a classic, big-ol’ eggplant but honestly any eggplant will work. Just look to use about a pound of eggplant total.
Eggplants have a good amount of protein, manganese, folate, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, and small amounts of niacin, magnesium, and copper. Peak season for these eggplants are between July and October, making them the perfect transition recipe between summer and Fall, but are very much available year-round.
To pick a good eggplant, look for one that is firm, with vibrant, shiny flesh that is fairly free from blemishes. Eggplants can develop some brown discoloration on their flesh after being refrigerated for too long, but that is actually only cold damage and is fine to eat or cut away. The best temperature for storing eggplants is around 50F, which is much colder than most of our houses and much warmer than your typical fridge. I just store mine in the fridge and try to eat them quickly (while accepting the reality of cold damage), but if you have a root cellar or similar that would be ideal for storage.
Looking for Eggplant Recipes? Try one of these!
- Whole Fried Crispy Chinese Eggplant
- Roasted Mini Eggplants in Tahini Sauce
- Eggplant, Chestnut, and Mushroom Vegan Holiday Loaf
- Baked Eggplant Parm Vegan Sandwich
- Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Cobbler (Vegan)
- Air-Fried Eggplant in Spicy Garlic Sauce with Jicama
Looking for Soup? Try one of these Vegan Soup Recipes!
- Cold Weather Cabbage Soup with Butternut Squash and Turmeric
- Caramelized Vegetarian Cabbage Soup
- Roasted Vegan Green Tomato Soup
- Cheesy Vegan Broccoli Soup with Poblano
- Easy Minestrone Soup with Beets
- Vegan Posole with Tempeh and Mushrooms
- Light and Brothy Vegan Corn Soup
- Warming Vegan Stew with Squash and Cardamom
- Kabocha Squash Soup with Sunflower Seed Cream
Vegan Eggplant Soup Tip and Tricks
- We like to use a partial blend with this soup- we blend a few cups of the soup to create a creamy texture, but leave the rest chunky to give you the best of the creamy and the best of the chunky. If you prefer you can leave the soup as is for a chunky and brothy soup, or blend it entirely for a smooth and creamy soup.
- For a spicier soup, try adding some red chili flakes in with the other spices.
- We used chickpeas in this soup, but just about any bean would be delicious here.
- We kept things simple and just served our soup with a nice sourdough, but if I wanted to make it a bit simpler I might top with some crispy chickpeas.
- We used a blend of cumin, sweet paprika, garlic, ginger, parsley stems, and cardamom to flavor the broth- of those spices I think the cardamom adds the most character. If you’re a big cardamom fan, I made a batch using an entire teaspoon of cardamom that was admittedly cardamom-heavy but delicious!
Spiced Vegan Eggplant Soup with Chickpeas and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant (about 1 lb.)
- 2 large plum tomatoes (about 3/4 lb.)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley stems (use leaves for garnish)
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp. grated ginger
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
- 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 3/4 cup chickpeas (16 oz. can, drained)
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Chop the eggplant and tomatoes into small cubes. Place on a baking sheet and toss in a little olive oil and salt. Once the oven is preheated, roast for around 40 minutes, taking it out and stirring once in the middle.
- After the eggplants have been cooking for 20 minutes, start on the broth. Heat a little oil in a large pot, then add the diced onion. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion starts to be translucent. Add the parsley, garlic, ginger, and spices and stir. Cook for a couple minutes until fragrant, then add the broth, cover, and bring to a low simmer.
- Once the tomato and eggplants are cooked, add them to the broth along with the chickpeas. Simmer for a minute or two, then scoop out around 3 cups of the soup to a blender (a good mix of vegetables and broth). Blend until smooth, and return to the pot. Stir to incorporate blended soup, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm garnished with fresh parsley.
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