Roasted Root Veg Soup
Roasted Root Veg Soup is a great way of using up odds and ends of all kinds of root vegetables. Roasted in olive oil with a few seasonings, they become sweeter as they caramelize. All you need do then is simmer in stock for five minutes to meld the flavours before whizzing into a smooth soup. So tasty and economical, I like to top bowls with grated cheese and a few vegetable crisps easily made in the microwave.
Almost any root vegetables you have can be used, even if they’re a little past their best. Try a mix of carrot, parsnip, leek, celery, beetroot, celeriac and sweet potato, or include swede, turnip, or your own favourites.
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Although it’s officially Springtime, there’s still a nip in the air. So I’m not prepared to put away my soup pan just yet. And with plenty of seasonal root vegetables about I’ve been making the most of them in delicious roasted vegetable soups.
Root vegetables are usually at the cheaper end of the scale with British grown varieties plentiful in the colder months. Which is precisely when we need those comforting soups! But I’ll be the first to admit that root vegetables are not at their tastiest when simply boiled. However, get them roasting and they’re transformed as their natural sugars caramelize.
ROASTED ROOT VEG
Almost any mix of root vegetables will work in Roasted Root Veg Soup. Even those which are a little past their best and perhaps a tad soft or bendy. For the soup featured in this post, I included a large onion, a leek, two stalks of celery, plus carrot, sweet potato, parsnip, celeriac, and golden beetroot. Almost all of them came from my organic Moorland Veg Box delivery. But you could swap in any other type of beetroot, turnip, swede, kohlrabi, fennel, radish, or Jerusalem artichokes. Just make sure that after peeling, topping and tailing or other preparation you have around a kilo of veg.
I chop all the vegetables into quite small dice. This is not only so they’ll cook more quickly (saving time and fuel), but because the greater surface area provides increased opportunities for charring and caramelization. And that means more flavour.
Now we come to the seasoning. Because I wanted the natural flavours of the root vegetables to stand out, here I went for very simple. Just some cloves of garlic, dried thyme and oregano, salt and black pepper. I also added Aleppo red pepper flakes to bring a subtle chilli heat as a contrast to the sweet, browned veg. But you could make a completely different soup by changing the seasoning. How about garam masala and turmeric for an Indian-inspired taste? Or maybe head over to North Africa with a touch of cumin, cinnamon, and ginger?
Before popping into an oven preheated to 200°C / 180° Fan / Gas 6, I drizzle over four tablespoons of olive oil and give everything a good toss. The vegetables should take around thirty minutes to get tender and nicely browned. I give them a stir and turn at the twenty minute mark to get even caramelization.
ROASTED ROOT VEG SOUP
When your root veg is ready, scrape the whole lot, including any roasting juices and oil, into a saucepan on top of the stove. Then add some stock. I prefer chicken stock, but you can use vegetable if you like. If you want a lightly creamy soup, you could replace half the stock with milk. A litre of liquid in total is about right for the consistency I want. Thickish but not stand-your-spoon-in-it thick. I suggest pouring in around 800 ml to start with. You can always thin it a little later anyway.
We now simmer the soup for 5 or so minutes. This will completely soften the vegetables and also help meld all those delicious flavours. All that’s left to do then is go in with a stick blender and whizz until the Roasted Root Veg Soup is your preferred texture. I like it almost completely smooth, but not quite. A final check of the seasoning and it’s ready to serve.
SERVING ROASTED ROOT VEG SOUP
As there’s virtually no protein in the soup, I like to serve it with a scattering of cheese. Parmesan, Cheddar, and goat’s cheese are all good. I usually like something with crunchy contrast too. That could be homemade croutons like with my Roasted Cauliflower Soup, the toasted pumpkin seeds I scattered on Leek, Potato & Watercress Soup, or, combining crunch AND cheese, the golden brown cheese toasts I float on my Cheese & Onion Soup. But, having lots of root veg, it seemed apt to make some quick root vegetable crisps to sprinkle over.
In the recipe notes at the end, I’ve given instructions for how to make them. But the trick to getting them completely crispy is to cut slices of root veg really thinly. As vegetable crisps can burn easily, I find it easiest to keep an eye on them by cooking in the microwave rather than the oven. Here I used sweet potato, golden beetroot, and parsnip.
Made from easily available ingredients, roasted root vegetable soups are infinitely adaptable. Change the ratio of different varieties and colours, swap in your favourite herb, spices or other seasonings and you need never have the same soup twice! Sticking to what’s local and seasonal, Roasted Root Veg Soup can be economical too. Why not make a big batch and store in the fridge to eat over 2 – 3 days, or freeze?
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Roasted Root Veg Soup
An easy way to use up odds and ends of all kinds of root vegetables: roast to bring out their natural sweetness then whizz with stock to make an economical soup.
Make a whole range of roasted root veg soups by leaving out the dried herbs and replace with Indian inspired garam masala and turmeric, or add cumin, cinnamon and ginger for a North African taste.
Ingredients
- 1 kg mixed root vegetables (see Recipe Notes) weight is after preparation e.g. peeling
- 6 garlic cloves peeled but left whole
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes or mild chilli flakes
- salt
- black pepper
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 800 - 1000 ml vegetable or chicken stock you can replace half with milk for a lightly creamy soup
To serve (optional)
- grated or diced cheese
- vegetable crisps see Recipe Notes to make your own
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180° Fan / Gas 6.
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Roast the vegetables
Prepare the root vegetables as necessary (e.g. peel or scrub, top and tail) then dice them.
Put the diced veg and the peeled whole garlic cloves in a large roasting tray.
Sprinkle over all the herbs and spices plus 1 tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper.
Toss well, drizzle over the olive oil, then toss again.
Put into the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
Take the tray out of the oven, toss again, then return it to the oven.
Roast for a further 10 minutes or until the vegetables are well browned and tender.
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Make the soup
Transfer the roasted vegetables, and any roasting juices, to a saucepan on top of the stove.
Stir in 800 - 900 ml of stock, put on a lid, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes to completely soften the vegetables and meld the flavours.
Use a stick blender to puree the soup to your preferred consistency. If the soup seems too thick, stir in more of the stock.
Check the seasoning and serve with the optional garnishes, croutons, or cheese toasts.
Recipe Notes
Root vegetables suitable for this soup. Almost any mix of root vegetables will work in this soup, even those a little past their best and a little soft. For the soup shown in the blog post I used 1 large onion, 2 sticks celery, 1 leek, made up to a kilo with carrot, sweet potato, parsnip, celeriac, and golden beetroot. You could also use any other type of beetroot, or turnip, swede, kohlrabi, fennel, Jerusalem artichoke.
To make vegetable crisps for a garnish. Slice a few pieces of the larger root vegetables (e.g. parsnip, beetroot, sweet potato) very thinly: they should be almost transparent. If you've time, soak in water for 10 - 30 minutes then rinse and pat dry. Place on a microwave-safe plate and heat on high for an initial 2 minutes. Continue to heat in short bursts, turning a few times, until the vegetables are crisp. Be sure to keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly. When done, put on a wire rack to cool where they'll crisp further.
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