Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

With a dreary rainy day on the west coast and a cold snap across country, what is more appealing than a hearty bowl of piping hot soup? This is a very clean, good recipe and I think what makes it a little different than most butternut squash/carrot soups is the distinct flavor that comes from parsnip. I often make the entire recipe, but sometimes, like this week, I roast the vegetables and use half to make a half batch of soup and the other half of the vegetables to make some sort of salad. The full soup recipe is below, which serves 6-8.

1 lb baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then into 1.25" cubes

1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1.25" cubes

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1.25" cubes

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1.25" cubes {look for packaged, pre-cut - up to 2 lbs}

3 T olive oil

1 t + 1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t fresh ground black pepper

2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped

6-8 c low sodium vegetable broth

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

a pinch or two of ground ginger {optional}

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place the vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheets.  Drizzle with oil and then season with salt and pepper.  Toss well.  Bake for 25-30 minute, until vegetables are tender, stirring once. Remove from heat and sprinkle with parsley.

Let vegetables cool a bit. In a large saucepan, heat 6 c of broth slightly over medium heat. In batches, add a mix of broth and vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and coarsely puree, adding pureed soup back in the sauce pan.  When finished, stir the soup in the saucepan and add more broth if the soup is too thick. Heat soup and taste to adjust seasonings. 

Serves 6-8.
Source: Adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Family Style