Here’s a soup for late summer when eggplants, tomatoes, and red peppers are luscious and ripe. Top the soup with a dollop of plain yogurt and pesto for added zip.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 6 servings

　　2 to 3 small Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise

　　1 large sweet onion, quartered

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　2 medium zucchini, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks

　　2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and quartered

　　2 tomatoes, cored, halved, and seeded

　　2 garlic cloves

　　1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried

　　6 cups chicken broth

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Sour cream and store-bought pesto for garnish

　　

Step 1

Position the oven racks so that they are evenly spaced, with one rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to convection roast at 500°F. Cover a shallow 12 1/2 × 17 1/2-inch baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray.

　　

Step 2

Place the eggplants, cut side up, and the onion on the baking pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toss the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic with the rosemary and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and add to the baking pan. Roast the vegetables for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.

　　

Step 3

Scoop out the flesh of the eggplants and put into a food processor fitted with the steel blade or a blender; discard the skin. Add the remaining vegetables and puree in batches, adding some of the chicken broth as necessary, as you go. Season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Put the mixture and the remaining chicken broth into a large soup pot and heat to simmering; cover and cook for 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve topped with sour cream and pesto.

　　From Cooking with Convection by Beatrice Ojankangas. Copyright (c) 2005 by Beatrice Ojankangas. Published by Broadway Books.Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas' Light and Easy Baking, Pot Pies, Quick Breads, Light Desserts, The Finnish Cookbook, and The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Beatrice works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.