Chilled out: how to make Splendido’s elegant cold zucchini soup at home

INGREDIENTS

Sweet and sour eggplant with smoked peppers 2 tbsp liquid honey 1 small eggplant Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp sherry vinegar 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Pinch of hot paprika

SOUP

3 cups vegetable stock 2 medium green zucchinis ¼ cup olive oil 1 medium white onion 1 medium head garlic, roasted and peeled ¼ tsp hot pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste 1 bunch spinach, stems removed Thinly sliced preserved lemon (available at Lively Life Fine Food in St. Lawrence Market, or in the Middle Eastern section of the grocery store) ½ cup diced smoked or roasted red pepper Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and cut the eggplant into ¼-inch dice. Bubble honey in a small flame-proof casserole over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes or until slightly thickened and fragrant. Add eggplant, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until eggplant has absorbed honey and is starting to soften. Add vinegar and stir until it has evaporated. Cover and cook at 325° F until eggplant is tender (20–30 minutes). Gently stir in oil and paprika. Let cool, then season to taste.

2. For soup, boil stock in a small pot. Trim zucchini, core and cut into ¼-inch dice. In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add thinly sliced onion and cook until onion is soft but not brown (7–10 minutes). Add zucchini, garlic, pepper flakes and salt. Cook for 1 minute.

3. Add boiling stock, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes or until zucchini is tender but still bright green.

4. Strain soup through a fine sieve, reserving stock. Put half the zucchini mixture, 1 cup stock and half of spinach in a blender. Blend until smooth. Repeat. Discard remaining stock.

5. Push the mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids in sieve. Refrigerate soup until chilled (about 2 hours).

6. To serve, spoon small mounds of the eggplant into 6 soup bowls. Carefully ladle soup around the mounds. Garnish with preserved lemon, strips of roasted red pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Serves 6. Recipe tested by Julia Aitken.

Splendido 88 Harbord St., 416-929-7788