Roasted Vegetable Soup

Should I struggle to find the words to describe this simple, luxuriously healthy soup?  Nope.

Let’s get right into how awesome and easy it is.

High in flavor and low in effort.  At the end of the day, isn’t that what we all aspire towards? This soup achieves both.  Combine a variety of roasted vegetables with spices, broth, and a touch of heavy cream.  You could use any vegetables you want in this recipe, I often add roasted cauliflower or fennel into the mix.  As a rule of thumb, use approximately 6 cups of roasted veggies to every 4-5 cups of chicken broth.  You’ll end up with a velvety bowl of soup every time.  The croutons are a must.  They add a wonderful crunch contrast.  Don’t leave them out!

Aren’t you always looking for something healthy, simple, and delicious to make?  Yes, you are.

Here ya go.

Ingredients:

• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 small white onion (non-sweet variety), peeled and cut into quarters
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (more may be needed if your soup is too thick)
• 1 head roasted garlic  (Note: I like to roast 2 heads of garlic at the same time.  Use 1 for this recipe and put 1 in your refrigerator to use in recipes later in the week.)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• Fresh parsley, for garnish
• Homemade croutons, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine vegetables on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toss with olive oil, cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly cracked back pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes. Toss vegetables well, and roast for another 10-20 minutes until tender and cooked through. (Note: Cook time will depend on the size of your vegetables.  After the first 20 minutes of roasting check them every 10.)  Remove vegetables from oven and reserve.

Combine broth, roasted vegetables, roasted garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper in a stock pot.  Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat until soup comes to a simmer.  At this point transfer contents to a high powered blender and blend until a silky puree forms, about 3-4 minutes (you may have to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your blender pitcher).  You can also use an immersion blender and puree the soup directly in your stock pot.  If the soup is too thick, add more broth.

Add heavy cream (you could easily leave this out, but I like how the little bit of cream mellows out the sweetness of the soup), taste, and season as necessary.  Serve hot with fresh parsley and homemade croutons.

Servings: 12 (serving size: 1 cup)

Note: This soup stores very well and will last up to 4 days in your refrigerator.  It also freezes well. If you plan to freeze the soup, refrain from adding the heavy cream until you thaw and reheat it.