In the Kitchen: Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

by Ethan Johnson
January 13, 2007

Here in Dallas, as of this writing, we are in the throes of some pretty crummy weather. It's been raining for two straight days, there is icy rain expected tonight, and more of the same (only worse) tomorrow. Sounds like perfect weather for a steaming bowl of:

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

Recipe adapted from Vegan Recipes from Hermes House Publishing. Note: This recipe will be presented for Vegans and non-Vegans alike.

1/4 cup pure olive oil
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
2 carrots, thickly sliced (1-2 inch slices)
1 large parsnip, cubed
1 small rutabaga (swede), cubed
2 leeks, thickly sliced
1 medium white onion, quartered
10 bay leaves
10 sprigs of fresh thyme
8 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 cups (32 oz) vegetable stock
kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter (optional and not at all Vegan)
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional and not at all Vegan)
Thick soya yogurt (optional and disgustingly Vegan)

(Serves 4.)

We begin by preheating the oven to 400F.
Peel and cube the parsnip. Cut the parsnip into thick slices, then cut the slices in half, and into 2-3 pieces.

Add the cubed parsnip pieces to a medium bowl.
Peel the carrots, and cut them into thick rounds. Add the carrot pieces to the bowl.
Wash and slice the leeks. I didn't cut them very thick, so go thicker than the photo shows. Only use the white and light green parts. Add the leek slices to the bowl.
Wash and cut the rutabaga (swede) into a big cube. (Similar to a mango, only in this case you want the center and not the edges. At least I think so - the skin seems pretty waxy.) Cut the large cube into slices, then cross-wise to make smaller cubes. Add the rutabaga pieces to the bowl.
Chop the bottom away from the onion, then chop the onion into quarters. Remove the root end, peel away the outer layer of the onion, and add the quarters to the bowl.
Cut the ends off of the butternut squash, peel it, then cut it into thick slices. Remove the seeds, then cut the rings into cubes. Add the pieces to the bowl.
Pour the olive oil over the vegetables and stir to coat. I happened to have a reusable carry-out container, so I added the oil and shook it until the oil was evenly distributed.
Using two baking sheets, spread the fresh herbs out (whole). Add the vegetables in a single layer. It's OK if the pieces sit on the herbs. Note: If using dried herbs, sprinkle 1/2 tsp of each type over the vegetables in the bowl.
Roast the vegetables in the oven for 50 minutes, or until tender. Turn the vegetables every 10-15 minutes to ensure even roasting. Depending on your oven, one tray may roast faster than the other. If so, swap the trays to prevent over-roasting.
Add the vegetables to a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add the vegetable stock and bring the pot to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt/pepper as desired.
Optional: Add the butter and heavy cream. I suspect that the cookbook skipped this step, so for hardcore Vegan cred, use soya yogurt or cream (of such a thing exists) and butter substitute to bring a more creamy consistency to the soup. Depending on the brand/type used, vegetable stock can actually run pretty brown, which will not make the soup look particularly "orange-y" like the appealing photo that got me to try making this.
Pour the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Process until thick and smooth.
Return the soup to the pot and heat through. Garnish each serving with a sprig of thyme and/or a spoonful of soya yogurt.
[Chuck wagon holler!]