This is such an easy soup to make and perfect for autumn and winter. Thick, warming and full of flavour, this Roasted Squash and Smoked Aubergine Soup will be a regular feature at your dinner table.
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I used the red onion squash for this recipe, but you can just as easily swap it for any other autumn or winter squash, including butternut squash, which is available all year round. The squash, the onion and the garlic are all roasted first, which intensifies the overall flavour of the soup. The aubergine is cooked, for the first part, directly over the gas flame, until the outside is charred and the flesh is soft. This gives it a delicious smoky flavour ( I use the same cooking method for Baba Ghanoush). I then allow the aubergine to finish off in the oven with the rest of the vegetables to make sure it is cooked all the way through.
After that it’s just a matter of throwing the soup together in a large saucepan. It’s completely vegan and gluten-free, so just about everybody can enjoy it.
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Roasted Squash and Smoked Aubergine Soup
Ingredients
Gluten-free.
- 900 g-1kg autumn squash deseeded and cut into wedges, bust skin left on (I used red onion squash)
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- A good pinch of salt
- 1 large red onion quartered but not peeled
- 4 large cloves garlic root cut off but otherwise left whole
- 1 aubergine left whole
- A little more olive oil
- 1 ½ litres of veg stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A little vegan cream to finish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to gas 5/190C/375F.
- In a large mixing bowl, coat the squash in the olive oil and sprinkle over the cinnamon, paprika and salt. Toss in the bowl, until completely covered and then tip out onto a roasting tray. Roast in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes. Keep the bowl with the excess oil and spices to coat the other veg.
- Once the time is up toss the red onion and garlic in the oiled bowl and add to the roasting tray. Continue cooking for another 40 minutes or so.
- With 30 minutes roasting time remaining, turn your gas burner (if you have one) onto a low-medium flame and, using a pair of metal tongues, cook the aubergine over the open flame. Turn the aubergine every few seconds and DO NOT leave it unattended. After a short while, the skin will begin to blister and the flesh will soften. It takes about 10 minutes to cook the aubergine in this way. Once it is done, transfer it to the oven to finish off for the remaining 20 minutes.
- If you do not have a gas burner, or don’t like the idea of cooking it this way, just cut the aubergine into quarters lengthways, oil and roast it at the same time as the onion and garlic. You won’t however, get the smoky flavour this way.
- Once your roasted vegetables are cooked, take them out of the oven and set aside to cool al little.
- Heat the extra olive oil in a large saucepan. Now peel the roasted onion, give it a rough chop and toss it in the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic out from the cloves in with the onions and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly. Remove the skin from the squash and aubergine and put that in the pan with he rest. Now pour in the veg stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking.
- Once the time is up and the soup has reduced a little fully blend, either with an emersion blender, or in batches with a jug blender (make sure you allow steam to escape if using a jug blender). Season with salt and pepper to taste and then pour in a little vegan cream.
- Serve with your favourite bread.
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