This hearty and flavourful soup recipe hits every flavour high note, combining smoky aubergine, sweet red peppers, and jammy roasted tomatoes, with added aromatic depth from dry sherry, tarragon, and all spice. Each soul-soothing spoonful is a burst of Mediterranean sunshine, making it a perfect choice for a chilly winter evening or impressive dinner party starter served alongside freshly-baked rosemary focaccia.
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Yields:
6 - 8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
40 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 10 mins
Cal/Serv:
200
Ingredients
4 small aubergines, about 275g (10oz) each
Oil spray
1 large red onion, quartered
2 heads garlic, left whole, outer skins removed and pointed ends trimmed
2 red peppers, halved and deseeded
700 g (11⁄2lb) ripe tomatoes, on the vine
2 x 400 g cans Italian tomatoes in tomato juice, drained and juice reserved
1.1 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock
50 ml (2fl oz) dry sherry
1⁄2 level tsp dried tarragon, crumbled
Pinch of allspice
Chopped flat-leafed parsley to garnish
Directions
Step 1
Prick the aubergines in several places with a sharp knife. Spray two large roasting tins with the oil spray. Put the aubergines, onion, garlic, peppers and ripe tomatoes in the tins. Roast at 220°C (425°F) mark 7 for 40-60min or until the vegetables are very soft. Turn the peppers once or twice and swap the position of the roasting tins halfway through the cooking time.
Step 2
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. (The peppers should be charred in places, the garlic soft within its skin and the tomatoes should have collapsed.)
Step 3
Cut the stems from the aubergines, peel off the skins and roughly chop the flesh. Squeeze the garlic flesh from the skins. Skin the tomatoes, squeeze out the seeds and juice and discard. Peel the peppers. In batches, whiz the vegetables and canned tomatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Step 4
Put the purée in a pan with the stock, tomato juice, sherry, tarragon, allspice, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil. Simmer, partially covered, for 30min, stirring occasionally.
Step 5
Serve piping hot in individual bowls garnished with parsley.
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
