Craving comfort food? This hearty vegetable soup packed with red lentils, roasted eggplant, and a secret Trader Joe's ingredient is the perfect warm hug in a bowl.
Summer heat might have you reaching for icy treats, but let's not forget about the incredible produce available this time of year. This soup is a delicious way to enjoy those seasonal flavors.
About this soup: it's vegetarian, there's protein from the lentils, and there's a beautiful cheese that pairs well (although I'm making it optional), called Toscano with black pepper. It's delicious. I like to freshly grate some over the bowl before serving.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Fresh vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, red onion, tomatoes, and carrots.
- Herbs and spices: Fresh basil and thyme, garlic, and aglio olio (Trader Joe's seasoning blend).
- Red lentils: This will add heartiness to the soup. It will also thicken it as the lentils break down and soften.
- Broth: Use chicken or vegetable broth.
- Olive oil: For sauteing + roasting.
- Trader Joe's Toscano cheese: for garnish (optional).
Steps for Making Vegetable Soup
Prepare the Eggplant and Vegetables
Step one: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step two: Peel the eggplant and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl. Add ¼ cup of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread the eggplant evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
Step three: Add whole tomatoes to the baking sheet. Cut a head of garlic in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on the baking sheet. Drizzle tomatoes and garlic with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Step four: Roast all ingredients in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender and the tomatoes are slightly blistered.
Help tip: if using a dark baking sheet, roast at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.
Step five: Place the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil in a blender. Process until smooth to create a creamy sauce.
Note: If you prefer a chunkier soup, skip this step and chop the tomatoes, garlic, and basil instead.
Step six: Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom of your pot. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini, aglio olio, and thyme.
Step seven: Sautee until the onions have softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato puree, roasted eggplant, rinsed lentils, and 6 cups of broth. Stir to combine.
Final step: Place over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: You will know when the soup is ready when the lentils have broken down and have completely softened.
How to Serve
Top this vegetable soup with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh basil, a sprinkle of aglio oglio seasoning, and freshly grated Toscano cheese. Serve alongside a fabulous salad like my spinach salad with apples and blue cheese, beet salad with goat cheese, or my red cabbage salad with Greek dressing.
If you're looking for a few main dishes, try my slow-cooker leg of lamb, rigatoni with Italian sausage and kale, or my balsamic BBQ beef kabobs.
Recipe Variations + Ideas
- Add more plant protein: Play with green lentils, chickpeas, or cranberry beans.
- Play with grains: Use rice, pasta, or wild rice for a satisfying texture.
- Make it spicy: Include jalapeños, chili powder, or cayenne pepper.
Storage and Reheating
- Stovetop: Gently simmer on low heat.
- Microwave: Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring often.
Tip: Add a splash of broth if needed.
More Crave-Worthy soup recipes
- Salmon Soup with Lemon and Dill
- Avgolemono Soup with Saffron
- Zuppa Toscana Recipe (Pork-Free)
- Mediterranean Bean Stew with Aleppo Pepper and Lamb
Rustic Roasted Vegetable Soup
Savor the flavors of summer with a bowl of vegetable soup. Packed with fresh vegetables, protein-rich red lentils, and a tasty cheese pairing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
- Category: Main Course, Soup
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup olive oil + more as needed
- salt and pepper as needed
- 20 oz tomatoes on the vine (( that's a bit over 1 pound))
- 1 large head of garlic
- 8 leaves fresh basil + more for garnish
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced (or 2 small carrots)
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 + ½ tablespoons Trader Joe's Aglio Olio seasoning blend
- 6 cups vegetable broth ( chicken or bone broth will also work)
- ½ cup red lentils, rinsed
- 5-7 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 Trader Joe's Toscano Cheese with Black Pepper for garnish (optional but HIGHLY recommended!)
Instructions
Roast the Vegetables
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the eggplant in a bowl, and add ¼ cup olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss to coat evenly.
- Transfer and spread the eggplant evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add whole tomatoes to the baking sheet.
- Cut a head of garlic in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on the baking sheet.
- Drizzle tomatoes and garlic with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant is slightly charred and the tomatoes are slightly blistered.
Make the Creamy Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Transfer the roasted tomatoes, squeeze out the garlic cloves, and add fresh basil to a blender to make a creamy sauce. Note: if you prefer a chunkier soup, skip this step and chop the tomatoes, garlic, and basil instead.
Sauté the Veggies and Aromatics
- Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom of your pot. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini, aglio olio, and thyme.
- Sautee until the onions have softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato puree, roasted eggplant, rinsed lentils, and 6 cups of broth. Stir to combine.
- Place over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: You will know when the soup is ready when the lentils have broken down and have completely softened.
Serve
- Remove the thyme sprigs from the pot, then drizzle each serving with olive oil, fresh basil, a sprinkle of aglio olio seasoning, and freshly grated Toscano cheese.
Notes
Want it thicker and chunkier?
Cook longer to reduce the broth.
Don't have fresh tomatoes?
Use Hunt's diced fire-roasted tomatoes.
Want more veggies?
Add yellow squash, butternut squash, celeriac root, fresh summer corn, celery, or even a variety of potatoes. Whatever you choose, do not use cruciferous vegetables!
Recipe inspired by The Essential WW Freestyle Cookbook
Adriana says
I’d give it 10 stars if I could! I used cherry tomatoes instead because that was what I had and I added potatoes. So delicious!
Joanne Davidson says
Just made this for dinner tonight, and it was absolutely excellent. Very flavourful and rich. Not difficult to make at all.
I just used regular homemade Italian seasoning and dried thyme, as I didn’t have the others. Will definitely be making this again. I might try adding some spinach at the end, and possibly increasing the red lentils as they are totally gone, but not because it needs it.
Ashley says
Joanne, that sounds delicious! Adding fresh spinach in the end sounds like the perfect finishing touch.