ISO smoky eggplant soup recipe from Turkey

[venera]

A few years ago in Istanbul I had the most amazing, velvety, smooth, smoky eggplant soup.

I have been searching the internet in vain for a recipe that might get me to a starting point for making this. For the first time in my life, I'm truly at a loss on recreating a dish I've had in a restaurant.

The recipes I have found online all contain tomatoes. This soup was creamy, whiteish, with the smoky taste of a charred eggplant, with nary a tomato to be found in it. It wasn't terribly heavy, either, despite being a cream soup.

If anyone will be able to help me with a starting point for recreating this heavenly soup, it will be the cooking chowhounds!

thanks much for any advice,
V

[pikawicca]

I think Aromatherapy is right on the money: Imam Bayildi (Sultan's Delight) thinned with chicken stok sounds delicious. Grill the eggplant (whole) first, for about 15 minutes, or until all sides are charred. Let cool, then peel and puree.

[Aromatherapy]

I would try a dilute version of the "smoked eggplant cream" used as a bed for braised lamb in Algar's Classical Turkish Cooking. It's just smoked eggplant blended into a white sauce flavored with kasseri cheese. For 3 lbs. (raw) eggplant, 5 T butter, 6 T flour, 2 c. light cream or milk, salt, 1/2 c. grated cheese. I'd try thinning with broth. I've made it as per the recipe and it's delicious.

[hotoynoodle]

i bet grilled eggplant, pureed with warm chicken stock, sauteed garlic and onions would be your start. rather than cream to bind it, use country bread, or even some ground almonds (like for white gazpacho). this sounds yummy.

[Kevin Andrew Murphy]

My guess would be that the soup was based on baba ganoush, the eggplant spread. Check some of the recipes for that and then use that for flavoring a cream soup.