julie-r-wa
Well-known member
** Dragonwagon Curried Cream of Eggplant Soup-Stew **
I love eggplant, I love curry, and Crescent Dragonwagon brings both together in this excellent soup-stew from cookbook “Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread.” Edited to our tastes.
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
1/4 cup long grain white rice
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped (optional, I don't usually use it)
1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp of your favorite quality curry powder (I use Penzey's Maharaja)
1 pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp tamari/shoyu soy sauce, or to taste
2 tsp honey or sugar, or to taste
1 1/2 cups half and half
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
diced red bell pepper, for garnish
finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pan spray or oil a baking sheet and place the eggplant slices on it in a single layer. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven until very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove foil, set aside, and let cool.
While eggplant is baking, in a large, heavy pot combine 5 cups of the stock and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer, covered, until the rice is tender (about 15-20 minutes).
Strain the rice from the stock, reserving both. Place the rice in a food processor and set aside. Return the stock to the pot and set aside.
Remove the eggplant slices from the oven and set aside.
Melt the butter and oil together in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped apple and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato (if using), curry powder, cayenne, soy sauce, and honey. Increase temperature to high and sauté, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of stock and sauté for another minute, scraping the bottom of the skillet, to deglaze the pan. Place all of this mixture into the food processor with the rice.
Add half of the baked eggplant slices to the food processor and puree. Stir the puree into the stock in the pot.
Coarsely chop the remaining eggplant slices, then add them into the soup pot.
Stir in the half and half, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Over very low heat, simmer the soup uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve hot or chilled, and the soup reheats well as long as you're careful to do it gently over low heat. Crescent says that the soup is even better on the second day. smileys/smile.gif Oh, and make sure to garnish with that red bell pepper and parsley.
Notes: I like to put in chopped mushrooms and chopped red bell pepper into the sautéed mix, as well.
I love eggplant, I love curry, and Crescent Dragonwagon brings both together in this excellent soup-stew from cookbook “Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread.” Edited to our tastes.
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
1/4 cup long grain white rice
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped (optional, I don't usually use it)
1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp of your favorite quality curry powder (I use Penzey's Maharaja)
1 pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp tamari/shoyu soy sauce, or to taste
2 tsp honey or sugar, or to taste
1 1/2 cups half and half
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
diced red bell pepper, for garnish
finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pan spray or oil a baking sheet and place the eggplant slices on it in a single layer. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven until very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove foil, set aside, and let cool.
While eggplant is baking, in a large, heavy pot combine 5 cups of the stock and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer, covered, until the rice is tender (about 15-20 minutes).
Strain the rice from the stock, reserving both. Place the rice in a food processor and set aside. Return the stock to the pot and set aside.
Remove the eggplant slices from the oven and set aside.
Melt the butter and oil together in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped apple and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato (if using), curry powder, cayenne, soy sauce, and honey. Increase temperature to high and sauté, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of stock and sauté for another minute, scraping the bottom of the skillet, to deglaze the pan. Place all of this mixture into the food processor with the rice.
Add half of the baked eggplant slices to the food processor and puree. Stir the puree into the stock in the pot.
Coarsely chop the remaining eggplant slices, then add them into the soup pot.
Stir in the half and half, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Over very low heat, simmer the soup uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve hot or chilled, and the soup reheats well as long as you're careful to do it gently over low heat. Crescent says that the soup is even better on the second day. smileys/smile.gif Oh, and make sure to garnish with that red bell pepper and parsley.
Notes: I like to put in chopped mushrooms and chopped red bell pepper into the sautéed mix, as well.