Roasted Egg Plant Veggie Soup

The inspiration for this soup comes from one of the best cooks I've ever known, Helen Pettingill.  I tasted a yummy soup she made last fall and knew I'd someday use it to 'fool' my kids into thinking they were eating a super cheesy soup.  The secret to this one is roasted egg plant.  I have tried egg plant over the years and it's never really worked, but as a base for soup I really like it roasted.  If I get ambitious this fall I'll roast some and freeze it for later, but that's another post.

Roasted Egg Plant Veggie Soup

1 egg plant

3 tomatoes

6 cloves of garlic

1 small onion

olive oil (to coat veggies)

4 cups chicken broth

2 T. parmesian cheese

1 c. milk

2 carrots, peeled and cut into one inch pieces

1/2 head cauliflower washed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 c. frozen peas (or you could use snow peas)

1/2 cup fresh spinach

Or any veggies your family likes with a cheesy sauce.

Preheat oven to 400'.

Wash egg plant and tomato and remove skins from garlic and onion.  Half egg plant, cut tomatoes in half and half onion.  Place all on baking sheet lined with parchment (the egdes roast to black so it's really best on parchment).  In small bowl pour a few tablespoons of olive oil. Dip your fingers in oil and then rub oil over all sides of each vegetable (except I think both tomatoes and egg plant are fruit but you know what I mean). Place i n  400' oven for 40-45 minutes, until they start to get brown spots.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Into a large pan scoop out insides of egg plant, then toss tomatoes, garlic and onion into the pan.  Add 4 cups chicken broth and then puree, either with a hand blender or with your regular blender.

Return mixture to pan and add parmesian cheese and stir.  Heat slowly, stirring occasionally.

Add 1 c. milk (you can use cream or half and half but I always like to choose the less fat option or you could use rice or almond milk)

In a separate pan, cook carrots and cauliflower til tender.  When veggies are tender, add frozen peas and allow to cook about 1 min then strain off water and add cooked veggies and spinach to soup.

Serve with herb toast.  Announce dinner as cheesey veggie soup and let them take it from there.  Mmmmm...