Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Soup

2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion diced medium
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted dry
4 cups water

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together eggplant, onion, garlic and 4 teaspoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, leaving a wide strip of empty space at one end. In bowl, toss chickpeas with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Transfer to empty space on sheet. Roast until eggplant is golden and cooked through and chick peas are slightly crunchy, about 35 minutes.

2. Set chickpeas aside. Peel garlic and add to a medium pot, along with eggplant, onion and broth. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-heat. With a potato masher or back of wooden spoon, mash some eggplant until soup is thick and chunky. Stir in chick peas and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serving Size: 4 1 cup servings

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user VCINCOTTA.