There’s nothing like a warm, comforting bowl of soup on a chilly early winter evening, and throwing together an amazingsoup from what you have on hand is so much easier than you think! Not only is this any-root vegetable soup deceptively simple, you can make it with literally whatever seasonal veggies you have on hand. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac, carrots, turnips… anything! Perfect for those winter CSA deliveries you don’t know what to do with ; ) Make a big pot to last you all week long for a perfect, healthy dinner that will keep you slim, warm, and healthy all winter long.
Any Root Vegetable Winter Soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), diced
2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 rosemary or thyme branches
2 bay leaves
3 1/2 pounds mixed root vegetables (whatever you have on hand–carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons sea salt, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or more as needed
Juice of 1/2 organic lemon, plus more for serving
Red pepper flakes, optional
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot.
- Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
- Add celery and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, rosemary or thyme, and bay leaves, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add root vegetables, 8 cups water, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes.
- Remove rosemary branches and bay leaves.
- Puree the soup in batches in your blender, or use an immersion blender. Puree until smooth.
- Season with lemon juice, and add a little extra salt, if needed.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a few extra drops of lemon juice, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper (optional), and a sprig of thyme or rosemary.
