Tender eggplant, tomato, garlic, and Italian seasoning make a cozy vegan soup, finished with crunchy sourdough croutons and fresh basil.
This soup’s best trick is turning eggplant Parmesan into something you can eat with a spoon. Tomato, garlic, Italian seasoning, and nutritional yeast build a savory broth around tender eggplant, while sourdough croutons bring the crisp contrast the bowl needs. The texture is adjustable, too: add vegetable broth if you’d rather have a lighter soup.
That balance matters. Without the croutons, the soft eggplant and tomato base could feel one-note; with them, each bite has a bit of crunch. For another plant-based comfort-food idea, see How To Make This Game-Changing Vegan Lasagna Soup.
The recipe is from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s The 29-Minute Vegan. Finish each serving with fresh basil, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Moskowitz also suggests an optional cashew-based “mozzy” sauce, which adds a creamy, mozzarella-like note. It’s a cozy dinner, though the recipe’s appeal rests on familiar flavors rather than any surprising twist.
Reprinted from The 29-Minute Vegan: Real Food, Real Vibes, Anytime, published by Abrams. Text copyright © 2026 Isa Chandra Moskowitz, photographs copyright © 2026 Anna Sergeeva, cover © 2026 Abrams.
Cozy eggplant Parmesan soup
The recipe serves four. Its main ingredients are one medium globe eggplant (about 1 pound/455 g), 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt plus a large pinch, 5 garlic cloves, ½ cup (50 g) plain breadcrumbs, ¼ cup (34 g) nutritional yeast, one 28-ounce/794 g can crushed tomatoes with basil, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth plus more as needed, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning.
For the croutons, you’ll need 6 ounces of sourdough bread (about a quarter of a standard unsliced loaf), 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Garnishes are optional mozzy sauce, olive oil, fresh basil leaves, and red pepper flakes. The sauce calls for 1 cup (120 g) raw whole cashews, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon mellow white miso, and ½ teaspoon salt.
For the croutons, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Start the soup by warming a pot over medium heat. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces, discarding the stem, then toss it in the pot with a drizzle of oil and a large pinch of salt. Cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften; mince the garlic while it cooks.
The final steps are what give this soup its texture: keep the eggplant tender, but stop cooking before it collapses. Stir in the breadcrumbs and garlic, cook for about three minutes until the crumbs are toasted and the garlic smells fragrant, then add the nutritional yeast and toast it for roughly 30 seconds. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and mix in the tomato paste until it dissolves into the soup. Add the vegetable broth, vinegar, Italian seasoning, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add up to a cup of extra broth or water as it cooks if the soup gets too thick. While it simmers, tear the bread into pieces about ½ to 1 inch (12 to 25 mm) wide. Toss them in a medium bowl with oil, garlic powder, and salt, then spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for eight minutes, until light golden and crisp. Adjust the soup’s thickness with more broth if you like. Serve it in bowls with the croutons and, if you’re using it, mozzarella. A little oil, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes finish each bowl. For the mozzarella sauce, blend the cashews, nutritional yeast, miso, salt, and ¾ cup (180 ml) water in a high-speed blender until smooth.
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