Charred Eggplant Soup With A Red Pepper Swirl Recipes

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pierce eggplants all over with fork. Transfer, cut side down, to baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove peel and discard. Cut eggplants into large pieces. Rinse eggplant pieces under running water. Drain well. Set aside.
• Char bell peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag 10 minutes. Peel, seed and coarsely chop peppers.
• Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and leek and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in eggplant, peppers, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in basil and thyme. Cool slightly.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add butter and lemon juice; stir over low heat until soup is heated through, about 5 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Transfer to large bowl; garnish with Parmesan.

CHARRED EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with olive oil. Put the eggplants, flesh-side down, on one of the baking sheets, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt. Toss the tomatoes, onion and garlic with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on the other baking sheet (don't crowd the pans or the vegetables will steam). Season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables until tender and browned in spots, about 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.
• Scoop the eggplant flesh from the skin into a saucepan, discarding any excess seeds. Add the remaining roasted vegetables, the chicken stock, thyme and cilantro and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Puree the soup in a blender (in batches if necessary) until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and thin with more stock, if needed. Season with salt, pepper and chile powder. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fennel fronds; slide the cotton candy into the soup to serve.

CORN SOUP WITH RED PEPPER SWIRL

Steps:

• Place bell pepper over an open flame or under broiler and roast, turning frequently with tongs, until blackened and blistered all over, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Cut in half vertically. With a paring knife, remove seeds from each half, then turn over and scrape away the blackened skin. Do not rinse; a little remaining char is fine.
• Transfer roasted pepper to a blender or food processor and add Fresno chiles, pimentón, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend to a smooth thick purée. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and corn kernels. Season well with salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium. Cooking, stirring, until onions are softened and beginning to color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Add 3 cups water or broth and salt to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes, until corn is well cooked. Transfer to a blender and whiz to a smooth purée. Thin with water or broth to the consistency of heavy cream.
• Pass soup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing with the back of a large spoon or ladle to extract every drop of liquid. (This step is important to guarantee a velvety texture.) Discard any fibrous remains. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• To serve, reheat and ladle into shallow soup bowls. Swirl about 2 tablespoons pepper purée into the center of each bowl. Pass lime wedges at the table.

SPICY ROASTED RED PEPPER AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F/220°C.
• While the peppers and eggplant are roasting, chop your onions and fresh chili (if you are using a fresh chili). Throw away the seeds and pith of the chili, and remember to only use half. Set aside.
• Put the eggplant and the bell peppers on a baking tray. To prevent exploding, poke a few holes in the eggplant, and one small slit in each pepper, facing up (while the peppers cook, they will fill with juice, and you don't want it to leak out).
• Roast them in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the eggplant is soft. Allow to cool enough to touch.
• Carefully put the peppers in a bowl, saving as much juice as possible, and cut in half. Peel away and discard the skin, seeds and pith.
• Cut the eggplant in half, and use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works amazing for this if you have one!) to scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the red pepper flesh.
• Put the olive oil in the soup pot on low heat, and add the onions. Cook until soft, but not browned.
• Add the hot chili or chili powder, and cook for few quick minutes.
• Add the eggplant, red peppers, thyme, and paprika, and stir.
• Add about three quarters of the stock (enough to cover the contents of the pot), and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• In a few batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth (you need to use a second pot to keep the pureed and un-pureed soup separate).
• Add more stock to adjust the consistency if you need to.
• Add salt, black pepper, small amounts of oregano and coriander, and more of the other spices and thyme to taste. Add a small dash of lime juice as well.
• Serve hot with a spoonful or two of fresh cream on top, and a spoonful of chopped scallions.

CHILLED EGGPLANT SOUP WITH RED BELL PEPPER AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Grill eggplant until skin is charred and flesh is soft, about 6 minutes per side. Grill bell pepper until brown in spots, turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Transfer eggplant and pepper to bowl. Cover with foil and let stand 30 minutes. Peel, seed and dice red bell pepper. Set aside.
• Scoop eggplant from skin and transfer flesh to blender; discard skin. Stir cumin in heavy small skillet over low heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add cumin to blender; then add yogurt, milk, olive oil, 1 tablespoon mint and garlic. Blend until very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer soup to large bowl. Mix in 1 1/2 cups broth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. (Bell pepper and soup can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Before serving, thin soup with more vegetable broth, if desired.)
• Mix bell pepper, remaining 1 tablespoon mint and olives in small bowl. Ladle eggplant soup into bowls. Sprinkle with bell pepper mixture; serve.

CHARRED EGGPLANT WITH BURRATA AND FRIED CAPERS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan or skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, dry the capers very well by wrapping them in paper towels or a clean dish towel and wringing out the moisture. (If there is too much moisture, the oil will sputter aggressively.) Line a plate or tray with paper towels or a clean dish towel.
• When the oil is ready, carefully drop the capers in and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. (Watch closely, as smaller capers will cook more quickly.) Remove the capers from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the lined plate. They will crisp up further as they cool.
• Transfer the caper-infused oil to a large heatproof bowl and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• Lay the disks of eggplant on a large cutting board or sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, flip over and drizzle the other side. Heat a large (12-inch) grill pan or cast-iron skillet on medium-high. (See Tip for grilling instructions.) When hot, working in batches, add the eggplant disks in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes, pressing the eggplant into the pan to encourage browning. Flip, reduce heat to medium and cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes, until completely tender. (The eggplant continues to soften as it soaks up the marinade in the next step, so don't be tempted to overcook.) Remove the eggplant from the pan and place them back on the cutting board or plate. Continue cooking the remaining eggplant.
• Meanwhile, to the bowl with the cooled caper-infused oil, add the herbs, garlic, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and a few pinches of black pepper. Toss to combine and taste, making sure it has enough salt. Add the warm eggplant slices to the oil and gently toss to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 5 minutes (see Tip).
• Serve this on one large platter or as four separate servings. Place the burrata (for single servings, halve each ball of burrata) on the plate along with the eggplant and top with any remaining marinade and the fried capers, and scatter with fresh herbs.

CHARRED EGGPLANT SOUP WITH A RED PEPPER SWIRL

Steps:

• Preheat a cast-iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Place the eggplants on the griddle and char them well, turning from time to time, until the outer skin is burnt and peeling and the inside is very soft, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Trim away the skin and discard. On a parchment-lined cutting board, chop the eggplant and set aside, along with any juice that has accumulated on the parchment.
• Meanwhile, combine the onions, garlic, and olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent. Add the chicken stock, herbes de Provence, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Remove the bay leaf, add the eggplant, and puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Stir in the buttermilk.
• Ladle into soup bowls and swirl in the Red Pepper Coulis. Garnish with the parsley and serve.