Preheat oven to 425° F and prepare eggplant to roast. If preferred, peel, then dice finely. Peel garlic cloves and shallots and add whole to pan. season with salt, paprika, ground mace, and curry powder. Toss with olive oil and roast for 45 min-1 hr. Toss half way through cooking time. Eggplant should be very soft by the end, remove from oven sooner if some toothsome-ness is preferred.

Boil water to par-boil potatoes. Cook for about 15 minutes for tiny potatoes, or check until fork tender and cooked through. Drain and let cool slightly.

Heat oil in the pot and add grape tomatoes to blister and cook down. Add tomato paste to cook out before mashing tomatoes. Season tomatoes with salt, sugar, and the rest of the seasonings used with the eggplant, and toss in oregano leaves. Once combined, remove from heat and blend with cashew milk and stock. If the garlic cloves and shallots are roasted, they should be blended in with the tomato soup at this point as well.

In the pan, heat olive oil and sauté mushrooms. Salt generously. Once liquid is cooked down, toss in the roasted eggplant. Combine and add flour. Cook off for a few moments, it should visibly begin to thicken. Use this roux to thicken the tomato soup, pour in slowly while stirring to combine. Bring the whole soup up to temperature.

While soup is simmering, chop potatoes into bite sized pieces. Salt and season generously before adding into the soup base. Stir it all up one last time, let stand for a few moments, and it’s ready to serve up with some sourdough, goat cheese, fresh basil, a dollop crème fraiche, whatever your taste is!