Roasted Vegetable Soup
There is simply nothing more comforting than a bowl of homemade soup.
And it’s not just the eating part – although that part is pretty stellar – but the act of cooking something from scratch using fresh ingredients can be immensely therapeutic. Sitting down in front of a bowl of soup you hand-crafted in your own kitchen feels good – and it gives you a sense of pride that’s hard to beat.
This soup, in particular, is one of my favorites because it is a beautiful orange hue, is slightly sweet with a little heat, and has a silky, luscious texture. Plus, it’s easy to make – win, win, win.
To make it, the root vegetables are roasted until caramelized, then transferred to a pot with vegetable stock and a fresh thyme sprig and simmered until soft. Then everything gets whirled together in a blender and finished with honey, balsamic vinegar, a touch of cream, nutmeg and cayenne. Those last few ingredients may seem a bit odd, but trust me – they’re what take this soup from good to great – so don’t forget ‘em!
And if you’re up for it, I recommend roasting an extra pan of vegetables to use throughout the week – toss them on a salad, eat them as a side or throw over-easy eggs on top for a breakfast hash. They’re DELICIOUS.
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Roasted Vegetable Soup
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hr
- Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
- Yield: Serves 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
Description
A luxuriously smooth soup made with roasted root vegetables.
Ingredients
- ½ small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 medium carrot or parsnip, peeled and diced
- ½ medium red onion, peeled and sliced
- 3 Tbsp. oil
- 1 ½ tsp. kosher or sea salt, divided
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper, divided
- 3 ½–4 ½ cups unsalted vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)
- 1–2 Tbsp. heavy cream or half and half
- 1 ½–2 Tbsp. honey
- 1–1 ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Crusty whole grain bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot or parsnip and red onion on the baking sheet. Toss with oil and ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Roast 35-45 minutes or until vegetables are caramelized on the edges.
- Transfer the vegetables to a stock pot or Dutch oven and place it on the stove. Add the stock and thyme sprig, if using, and bring to a simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Once vegetables are soft, remove from the heat. Discard the thyme sprig.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, let the soup slightly cool, then transfer it to a blender. Place the lid on top, remove the small center piece and place a kitchen towel over the hole to allow some steam to escape. Puree the soup, starting on low and increasing to high, until the soup is smooth. Transfer it back to the pot.
- Stir in the cream or half and half, honey, balsamic vinegar, remaining salt and black pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
Cooking Tip: The heavy cream or half and half is optional, but gives the soup a rich creaminess. I highly suggest it, and it only adds a gram of fat or two per serving.
Variation/Substitution Tip: Swap in 2 medium beets instead of the sweet potato.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 184
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 440mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 7mg
Keywords: soup, roasted vegetables, vegetables