Herb, spinach and burnt aubergine soup

Method

Put a well-greased griddle pan on a high heat. Randomly poke the aubergines all over a few times with the tip of a small, sharp knife. Once the pan is smoking hot, lay in the aubergines and cook, turning occasionally, until deeply charred on the outside and softened inside – about 50 minutes. Don’t worry about over-charring them: the longer they cook, the better.

Transfer the aubergines to a colander set over a bowl and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the blackened skin and stems, then tear the flesh into long strips. In a medium bowl, mix the aubergine flesh with a tablespoon of lemon juice, a third of a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Set aside until needed.

If you don;t have a griddle pan, or if this seems too much work, prepare the aubergine as above and roast in a hot oven, turning occasionally, until tender and starting to char. It won't be the same flavour, but it will still make a good soup.

While the aubergines are grilling, start on the soup. Heat four tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan on a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and deeply browned – about 12 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the chopped herbs, spring onions and three tablespoons of water. Leave to cook, stirring often so the herbs don’t catch, for about 15 minutes, until deeply green and fragrant.

Turn up the heat to medium-high, add the cinnamon, cumin and a teaspoon of turmeric, cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the spinach, stock, 400ml water, a teaspoon and three-quarters of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat, transfer 350g of the soup mix to a blender and blitz smooth. Stir the blitzed soup back into the pan, add the remaining two tablespoons of lemon juice, and keep warm.

For the tempered oil, put the chilli and remaining three tablespoons of oil in a small frying pan and turn the heat to medium. Leave to cook, stirring occasionally, until the chilli is translucent and glossy – 10-12 minutes. Add the mustard seeds, cook for a minute, stir in the final eighth of a teaspoon of turmeric, then immediately tip the mixture into a bowl to stop it cooking further.

To serve, divide the soup between four bowls. Stir the picked herbs into the aubergines, spoon on top of the soup, and finish with a drizzle of the tempered oil and spices.