Grilled Eggplant Soup Seasoned with Roasted Elephant Garlic
Title: Roasted Elephant Garlic Soup with Grilled Eggplant: A Unique and Delicious Recipe
You'll savor the sweetness of elephant garlic and the smokiness of grilled eggplant by following this easy-to-make recipe. Here's a step-by-step guide to its creation.
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
For the soup:- 4 heads elephant garlic- 1/4 cup olive oil- 4 leeks (white part only), chopped coarsely- 1 onion, chopped coarsely- 1 potato, peeled and chopped coarsely- 1/2 cup white wine- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the basil puree (approx. 1/2 cup):- 1 cup basil leaves- Salt, to taste- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
To serve:- 1 Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced and grilled
Instructions:
- Roast the Elephant Garlic:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cut off the top 1/4 inch of each garlic head and place them in a shallow baking dish with 1/4 cup olive oil.
- Bake for 1 hour or until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Press garlic cloves to release them and set aside.
- Cook the Soup:
- In a large saucepan, combine garlic, leeks, onion, potato, and white wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until wine is reduced by half its volume.
- Add broth and salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
- Working in batches, puree the mixture in a blender until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding broth or water if needed and taste before adjusting seasoning.
Advance preparation: This soup tastes even better if made several days ahead of time and given a day of rest in the refrigerator.
Variations: You can use regular hard neck garlic if elephant garlic is unavailable, but the flavor will be more pungent. This soup is delicious served either hot or cold. Eggplant and basil can give the soup an herbal smokiness that complements its creamy texture.
Beverage pairing: Serve this soup with a light- to medium-bodied white wine, such as an Arneis or a Chardonnay, for a balanced, flavorful pairing.
Worth Noting:
- Elephant garlic is closely related to leeks and is thought by some to be their wild ancestor. The bulbs can weigh over a pound and have a mellower flavor than regular garlic when roasted.
Quick Tip for Enhancing the Soup: Add some chopped kale or spinach during the last few minutes of simmering to give the soup a nutritional boost.
Grilled Eggplant Preparation Tips:- Use larger eggplants for easier grilling.- Brush eggplant slices with oil right before grilling to prevent them from absorbing too much oil.- Ensure your grill is hot before adding eggplant slices to achieve nice grill marks.
Elephant Garlic Tips:- Store Elephant Garlic in a cool, dry place to keep it fresh.- Roasting Elephant Garlic mellows its flavor, making it sweeter and less pungent.
- The unique characteristics of the Roasted Elephant Garlic Soup with Grilled Eggplant recipe include the mellow flavor of elephant garlic and the smokiness of grilled eggplant.
- Nutrition-wise, this soup can be enhanced by adding chopped kale or spinach during the last few minutes of simmering, providing a nutritional boost.
- The soup's creditline can be traced back to its creator, with the creator's ID being df3ddd1db7abaed4eaf0af0904e9fabe.
- Uncategorized variations of this delicious recipe include using regular hard neck garlic if elephant garlic is unavailable, or serving the soup cold, which still delivers an herbal smokiness from the basil and eggplant that complements its creamy texture.
