Greek Soups
Melitzanosoupa Recipe (Greek Roasted Eggplant Soup)
Μελιτζανόσουπα meh-leed-zah-NOH-soo-pah · Melitzanosoupa
In short
Melitzanosoupa is a smooth soup made from roasted aubergine, blended with softened onion and a little rice for body, finished with a good drizzle of olive oil. It gives the smoky, deep flavour of roasted eggplant an entirely different, warming format from the dips, salads and stuffed mains this vegetable more commonly appears in.
Aubergine appears constantly across Greek cooking as a dip, a stuffed main, a fried side and a salad, but melitzanosoupa takes it in a genuinely different direction entirely, blending roasted, smoky aubergine into a smooth, warming soup rather than any of its more familiar forms.
Roasting the aubergine first, rather than simply boiling it, is what gives this soup its real depth, the same charred, smoky quality that defines melitzanosalata's best versions, carried here into liquid form instead of a spreadable dip.
A little rice, cooked into the soup and blended along with everything else, gives real body without needing any cream or dairy at all, keeping the whole dish naturally light and plant-based.
Key preparation steps
- Roast whole aubergines until the flesh is soft and smoky.
- Soften onion and cook a little rice in stock.
- Blend the roasted aubergine flesh into the soup.
- Finish with olive oil and black pepper.
Roasting the aubergine
Roast whole aubergines in a hot oven, or directly over a gas flame if you have one, until the skin is charred and blistered all over and the flesh inside has completely softened, giving the specific smoky depth this soup depends on. Scoop out the flesh, discarding the charred skin.
Building the soup base
Soften onion and garlic in olive oil, then add vegetable stock and a small amount of rice, simmering until the rice is tender, which is what gives the finished soup body once everything is blended.
Blending and finishing
Add the roasted aubergine flesh to the pot and blend everything until completely smooth, either with a stick blender directly in the pot or in batches in a stand blender. Finish each bowl with a generous drizzle of good olive oil and a grind of black pepper.
Tips from my kitchen
Char the aubergine skin properly
This is what gives the soup its real smoky depth. A lightly roasted aubergine without proper charring gives a flatter, less interesting result.
Do not skip the rice
It dissolves into the blended soup and gives real body without needing any cream, keeping the dish naturally light.
Finish generously with olive oil
This simple soup depends on a good final drizzle to round out its smoky, savoury character.
Melitzanosoupa Recipe (Greek Roasted Eggplant Soup)
Μελιτζανόσουπα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 20m
- Cook
- 45m
- Total
- 1h 5m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 220C fan 200C. Prick the aubergines a few times and roast whole for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is charred and blistered and the flesh is completely soft. Alternatively, char directly over a gas flame, turning often.
- Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and discard the charred skin.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot and cook the onion for 8 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the stock and rice, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Add the roasted aubergine flesh and blend everything until completely smooth, using a stick blender or in batches in a stand blender.
- Season with salt and pepper, reheat gently if needed, and serve with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 168
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Sat fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Melitzanosoupa
Is melitzanosoupa the same as melitzanosalata blended thin?
Not quite. Melitzanosalata is typically bound with mayonnaise or yogurt, while melitzanosoupa uses a little rice cooked directly in stock for body, keeping it naturally dairy-free and giving it a genuinely different, souplike texture.
Can melitzanosoupa be served cold?
Yes, it works well chilled in warmer months, similar to how some vegetable purees are served cold, though it is equally good served warm.
How do you char the aubergine without a gas hob?
Roasting whole in a very hot oven until the skin blisters and blackens gives a similar smoky result, taking a little longer than direct flame but working just as well.
