eggplant | One Small Vegan

I’ve seen a lot of recipes, both online and in cookbooks, for various types of peanut soups and stews but I could never decide which one to make. So I made my own. This is my version. This soup has a mild curry flavour, and is super creamy from the peanut butter and coconut milk, without feeling too heavy. This was a spur of the moment soup and I used whatever vegetables I had on hand. I really love the textures of the eggplant and zucchini in this, but please feel free to substitute other vegetables for the bell pepper. Some carrots and peas might be really good. Also, if you would like a spicier soup, just up the curry powder and/or the ground cayenne.

Did I mention I absolutely love the golden yellow colour of this? I really do!

Creamy Peanut Vegetable Soup
1 small eggplant, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
A 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 tbsp peanut or olive oil
2 small zucchini, diced into 1/2 inch pieces (2 cups)
2 med bell peppers, diced into 1/4 inch pieces (2 cups)
1 398ml can chickpeas
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp mild curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 400ml can coconut milk
1/4 cup split red lentils, rinsed and picked through
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter

Cut up eggplant before prepping the other ingredients. Put it in a colander over a bowl or sink, mixed with 1 tsp of salt. Let this sit while you are prepping the other ingredients (about 20 minutes).

Heat a large pot with oil on medium heat. Add in ginger, garlic, and onion and sauté a few minutes, until onions are softened. Add in all of the spices (coriander, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, curry powder, paprika) and sauté for another minute, stirring frequently. Now add in the zucchini, peppers, and chickpeas. Rinse eggplant thoroughly with water and add to pot. Give everything a good stir.

Now add the broth or water, coconut milk, and lentils. Stir everything together, cover, and increase heat to bring to a boil. Let boil gently for 3 minutes, then reduce to med-low heat.

In a separate bowl, mix until smooth, the peanut butter and a ladle of the hot liquid from the soup. Stir peanut butter mixture back into pot. Cover pot and let simmer on med-low heat for 35-45 minutes, until lentils have disappeared and eggplant is tender. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!