Roasted Vegetable Soup
This roasted vegetable soup is a variation on Late Harvest Soup, a wonderful fall soup full of those delicious orange vegetables that match the leaves this time of year. The small but distinct difference between last fall’s harvest pot and this year’s is the roasting of the vegetables. Roasting brings out the best in a vegetable, making the flavor of the soup delectable. Mary Polly noted the difference as she filled up her bowl a second time, Mom, you know what is strange? You used to make a soup that looked like this one but we didn’t like it. But now we like it!
And how could you not? So much goodness.
Roasted Vegetable Soup
very loosely adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Ingredients:
2 quarts organic free range chicken broth
10 pounds winter vegetables (I used 2 pounds carrots, 1 bunch leeks, 1 large onion, 1 large butternut squash, 2 sweet potatoes, 1 fennel bulb, 1 large celery root and 3 or 4 medium red potatoes)
1 entire head of garlic, cloves peeled.
olive oil
2 teaspoons herbes de provence
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
For the vegetables:
Peel, chop and seed all the vegetables.
Place in a large bowl with garlic cloves and toss with 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil, until all vegetables are coated.
Add in 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence.
Spread vegetables over 3 to 4 half sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
Roast at 450 degrees F for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size of the vegetable chunks), stirring halfway through.
For the soup:
Bring the chicken stock to boil in your very favorite heavy bottomed soup pot.
Add in the vegetables and blend with a hand blender until soup reaches a desired consistency. You can thin it with more broth or a little cream if it is too thick. And if you do not have a hand blender, you can use a regular blender, food processor or a food mill. I love a hand blender, because you don’t have to get something else dirty or pour hot soup in and out of the pot and blender.
Serve hot with a slice of hot bread and butter and enjoy all that vitamin A.
i have a set of le creuset cookware that is 20 years old and belong to my parents and i LOVE it. it is battered and worn but still cooks beautifully. add that it belonged to my parents and it makes whatever i cook even sweeter. enjoy!
i have an idea! if everyone who benefits from your cooking donated $, you could buy the “le creuset” dutch oven you’ve been dreaming of… when this one flakes out. The Hall family would for sure! In fact, I’m getting hungry just dreaming about all the thing YOU could make in it!
I do not have a dutch oven, nor did I realize that I might need one. you make a strong case. but then again, i might not know how to use it properly. hmmm. . . i will ponder adding it to my christmas list.
i’m in line for my mother’s le creuset dutch oven when something happens to my daddy (banish the thought)– i haven’t been able to bring myself to buy a cheap replacement thus far but may have to consider this gem…
Sounds like you got a great deal. I was at T.J. Max and they had some le creuset cookware for some fantastic prices. You should check it out. Of course they are not $38.00. I was very tempted to purchase one. Very tempted……..
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