Root Vegetable Soup

Root Vegetable Soup

Here’s a simple, robust, cold-weather soup that you can make with almost any mixture of root vegetables you have to hand: carrots, parsnips, celery root, turnips, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato. Flavored with garlic, rosemary and bay leaves on top of a saute of onions and celery, it’s an earthy, sweet, and warming meal for days where the air has some bite. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice, some grated cheese, flaky salt and a shower of black pepper.

The Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
• 2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 rosemary or thyme branches
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 ½ pounds mixed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, more for serving
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Flaky sea salt
• Crushed Aleppo, Urfa or other chile flakes (optional)
• Grated Parmesan or pecorino (optional)

PREPARATION

1.  Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, rosemary and bay leaves; cook 1 minute more.
3. Add root vegetables, 8 cups water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Remove and discard rosemary branches and bay leaves.
5. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.) If the soup is too thick, add a little water.
6. Season with lemon juice and more salt to taste.
7. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, flaky salt, and crushed chile or grated cheese, if desired.

This locally inspired recipe is brought to you by Pam Walker. Pam is an avid home cook, writer, and local farm and food activist who is also a board member of the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute. Thank you, Pam, for helping inspire us to use locally sourced ingredients!