Eggplant and White Bean Soup

I realized the other day that when Andrew is out of town, I tend to hang out in the land of vegetarianism a lot. It’s certainly not a conscious thing, but more of a convenience thing. I’m either using up random odds and ends in the kitchen, not wanting to go to the meat counter for just one serving [I could freeze the rest, but I’m not a fan of that if I can help it], or trying out a veggie only dish that I know Andrew probably wouldn’t love.

Enter this eggplant and white bean soup.

It’s thick. It’s hearty. It has very little ingredients. You can customize the texture to your heart’s desire. It feels a lot more “meaty” than I was expecting. Usually pureed soups, while delish, tend to leave me hungry not long after. This isn’t the case. Considering the pot made two “large” servings [AKA dinner and lunch], it meant I was eating a can of beans and an eggplant at each meal. That’s intense, and I loved every minute of it.

It’s perfect for those cold, winter days…never mind that I ate it cold the next day for lunch. I’m just that weird.

Inspiration: Stonesoup

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized eggplants
• 2 cans white beans [don’t drain!]
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-4 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450º.
2. Slice the eggplants in half and place them face down on a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes until soft and deflated.
4. In a large saucepan, saute the onion in the butter or olive oil on medium heat until soft and translucent–about 10-15 minutes.
5. At the beans and their liquid to the onions and bring to a simmer.
6. Scrape the eggplant flesh into the onions and beans.
7. Puree as much you’d like, either with a blender or food processor [I did about 1/2-3/4].
8. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
9. Serve.