Carrot, capsicum and eggplant soup | Juha od mrkve, crvene paprike i balancana

Another simple Dalmatian soup for any time of the year. Served hot (as I prefer it) it’s wonderful with some croutons and fresh herbs sprinkled on top, or in the warmer months serve it cold, straight out of the fridge with said herbs.

While the recipe ingredients come in grams, I changed my numbers to use one carrot, one capsicum and one eggplant, which left too much eggplant in the recipe, but rather than throwing out half an eggplant I used it in the soup. There were no problems with taste.

Like I’ve put down in the method, when the onions go in at step one, immediately start on step two so that you’re not waiting around too long for the capsicum and eggplant to sauté. And if served a day after making, those flavours really develop and it’s even more sensational.

Ingredients:

100mls extra-virgin olive oil

Two (2) garlic cloves, crushed

One (1) brown onion, chopped

200 grams of carrots, peeled and sliced

200 grams of red capsicums, deseeded and diced

200 grams of eggplant, peeled and diced in 1cm cubes

1.2 litres of vegetable stock

sea salt

freshly ground pepper

To serve:

Fresh herbs, edible flowers (I used Tuscan Blue rosemary flowers) or croutons

Method:

1. AFTER THE ONION GOES IN – START STEP 2 – Put 30mls of the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds, making sure it doesn’t colour. Turn down the heat to medium, add the onion and sauté for 10 minutes until translucent. Add the carrot and sauté for another 10 minutes.
2. In a separate pan, heat another 30mls of oil and sauté the capsicum until it starts to become golden-brown. Season with salt and pepper and add to the carrot mixture which is now on a low heat.
3. In the empty saucepan that sautéd the capsicum, add another 30mls of oil and sauté the eggplant until it begins to soften. Season with salt and pepper and add the to carrot and capsicum mixture.
4. Add the vegetable stock in with all the vegetables and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables start to break up.
5. Using a hand-held blender puree the mixture until it’s smooth.
6. Adjust the seasoning, serve and drizzle with remaining oil, or sprinkle with fresh herbs and croutons. Or serve with warm, crusty bread.

Let me know if you tried this vegetable soup and what you thought?

Dobar Tek! Zivjeli! (Bon Appetit! Cheers and let’s live!)