Shelly's Roasted Eggplant and Sausage Soup
1 large Eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and diced into 2 inch cubes
1 large Red Onion, cut into chunks
1 whole Garlic, roasted*
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
2 Sweet Italian Sausage Links (meat removed from casings)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon Tomato Paste
1 can (14.5 oz.) Chopped Tomatoes
3 cups Chicken Stock
*Roast garlic head in foil or a garlic baker using this method.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss onion and eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in oven for 50 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time. Saute sausage meat till no longer pink. Set aside.
In a large pot place roasted veggies, roasted garlic, chopped tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paste, and stock. Blend with a groovy cool immersion blender or in batches with a pain in the arse regular blender till slightly chunky. Add sausage back to pot. Add more salt & pepper to taste. Cook for 30 minutes on low.
Top with crumbled ricotta salata or goat cheese.
