- PREP-TIME: 40 MINUTES / READY IN: 1 HOUR
- MAKES 10 CUPS
We like roasting vegetables before blending them into soups, as the time in the oven concentrates their natural sweetness and deepens the overall flavor profile. Here, eggplant and tomatoes get the royal treatment of being roasted and then simmered in vegetable broth with garlic and fresh herbs. The flavorful results are then puréed until velvety smooth. Ladle the savory soup over chewy wheat berries (or any other whole grain of your choice) and top it with a few dollops of cashew cream. Add a sprinkle of basil on top, and let this comforting meal warm you up from the inside out.
By Nancy Macklin, RDN,Feb 29, 2024
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium eggplant (1 lb.), sliced into ¾-inch rounds
- 1 lb. roma tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 32-oz. package low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 dash ground cayenne pepper
- ⅓ cup raw cashews, soaked
- ⅓ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
- 1 14.5-oz. can no-salt-added fire roasted diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups cooked wheat berries
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 15×10- inch baking pan with parchment paper. Place eggplant and roma tomatoes in prepared pan. Roast 30 minutes or until tender and browned in places.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot cook onion and garlic over medium 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding vegetable broth, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add the remaining broth, the thyme, cayenne pepper, and roasted vegetables to pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for cashew cream, in a small food processor or blender combine cashews and milk. Cover and process until smooth.
- Stir undrained diced tomatoes into pot. Using an immersion blender, puree soup. Stir in half of the basil and the balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve soup over wheat berries. Top with spoonfuls of cashew cream and the remaining basil.