For a couple of months I've been making a big pot of veggie soup every Sunday, which feeds Michael and me Sunday night dinner, and I eat leftover soup every weekday at lunch. This is not your mother's veggie soup, however.
After watching many videos about roasting veggies and turning them into soup, I came up with my own version and tonight I finally got all the flavor notes right! I really like the combination of turmeric and ginger, and it's a great anti-inflammatory combination.
This is different from most veggie soups. Most vegetable soups are broth based and contain a lot of filler like pasta but this one is packed with veggies and nutrients. You could add rice or pasta, or serve with a nice loaf of homemade bread, also.
The recipe below makes a LOT of soup, enough for several meals. So although it's a little bit of trouble it's worth taking the time.
HELPS TO HAVE:
good sheet pans
a really good sharp knife
an immersion blender
Root Vegetable Soup
1 medium sized butternut squash
1 onion, any color
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 stick butter [you could leave this out if you're vegan]
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 large carrots, peeled and chopped, or a bag of shredded carrots, about 2 cups
1 can pumpkin
1 can garbanzo or pinto beans
1 carton vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup orange juice
2-4 teaspoons turmeric
2-4 teaspoons ground ginger or ginger puree
2 teaspoons of paprika
hearty sprinkling of a spicy blend like Dan-O's seasoning
salt & pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 425 and cut off the ends of your butternut squash, then slice in half lengthwise. Dig out the seeds from the little depression in the flesh. I then take olive oil and rub it all over both pieces. I usually leave it in about 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. If this sounds like too much trouble you can also buy peeled and chopped butternut squash in the freezer area.
In a non-stick skillet I melt a stick of butter and put in the onion, chopped coarsely, and the garlic. Then I add the carrots and seasonings, and 1 or two cups of veggie broth, and let it simmer the entire time the squash is cooking, or about 30 minutes.
I pull out the squash and let it cool about 15 minutes, and turn off the heat under the skillet. By now everything in the skillet should be soft. I scoop out the squash and put it in a big saucepan, although you could put it in the crock pot instead and let it go on high an hour or so. I attack the soft veggies with the immersion blender until it's all pretty liquefied, and add the pumpkin. I then stir in the rest of the veggie broth, canned beans, and coconut milk, and let it simmer for at least 20 minutes before serving. Taste and see if you need to adjust seasonings, is my pro tip.
It's great with french fried onions on top as a garnish, and my son likes to eat it with bread. I've also seen toasted pumpkin seeds used as a garnish.
After dinner we ate clementines for dessert. I said to my son "Tonight's dinner is brought to you by the color ORANGE!"
Bon Appetit!
