This soup was a favorite discovery of mine while traveling through New Orleans and across the American South many years ago. It’s still a soup love to make when in the mood for eggplant.

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 large onion, chopped

　　3 medium celery stalks, diced

　　1 clove garlic, minced

　　1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached white flour

　　2 large potatoes, peeled and finely diced

　　1 large or 2 medium eggplants (1 1/2 pounds total), peeled and finely diced

　　1 teaspoon dried basil

　　1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

　　1 teaspoon good-quality curry powder, or more to taste

　　2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

　　1 cup rice milk, or more as needed

　　1/4 cup Silk creamer

　　Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until all are golden. Add a small amount of water if the mixture becomes dry. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for another minute.

　　

Step 2

Add the potato and eggplant dice with enough water to cover all but about an inch of the vegetables. Bring to a rapid simmer. At this point you should be able to push all the vegetables below the water. Lower the heat, add the basil, thyme, and curry, and stir well. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are quite tender.

　　

Step 3

Stir in the parsley and enough rice milk to give the soup a slightly thick consistency. Stir in the creamer, then season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Simmer over very low heat for 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve at once, or if time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or so, then heat through before serving.

　　

Nutrition Information

Step 5

Per serving:

　　

Step 6

Calories: 144

　　

Step 7

Total fat: 6g

　　

Step 8

Protein: 2g

　　

Step 9

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrate: 21g

　　

Step 11

Cholesterol: 0mg

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 45mg

　　Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons