Pureed Roasted Vegetable Soup

Two posts in a week- well, since I've been absent for the last 7 months, it's the least I can do!  I mentioned in my last post that I had a lot of veggies to use up, and had made two pans of roasted vegetables with some of them. I love roasted veggies- roasting brings out their flavor in a way that no other cooking method does, really concentrates it, and seems to make it richer somehow.  Believe it or not, roasted broccoli is one of my 12 year old daughter's favorite foods- yes, no joke!  It is so easy to roast vegetables too...just toss in oil, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast at a high temperature until barely tender and beginning to brown. They are so versatile too- they can be eaten as-is for a side dish, tossed in salads, or, as is the case with this recipe,made into a lovely pureed soup.

I wish that I could take credit for this soup, or even the idea for it, but I can't.  I belong to a wonderful community of working mothers, and one of my friends there posted this on the cooking forum there a few years ago.  It's not really a specific recipe, but more of a guide.  Roasted vegetables are simmered in broth until tender, then pureed and seasoned, and voila- soup!  It really is that simple- however, as I have found, the vegetables used do matter in the end product.  Pureeing vegetables does not necessarily produce an attractive result- the more green vegetables used, the more muddy and putrid the color of the soup, and however delicious the taste, it may not be so appealing to eat.  So keep that in mind when roasting your veggies, if you are doing so with a mind to use the leftovers for this soup.  Another thing I have found is that it is absolutely necessary to have tomatoes in the mix.  Fortunately I did this time- I had purchased some baby heirlooms at Trader Joe's a couple weeks back and needed to use them up, and they were a delicious addition.  Good tomatoes are not that plentiful this time of year though, so if you can't find good fresh ones, use some canned diced or stewed tomatoes, drained of course.  Add them to the broth with the roasted veggies, and they will provide a tangy zing that you wouldn't get otherwise in the soup.  One last thing- beans!  In this soup, I included some leftover roasted garbanzo beans that I had in the fridge, but you can use whatever you have- they provide protein and fiber, not to mention a nice creamy consistency.  I also like to throw in a couple of cloves or garlic.  The flavor mellows when it's simmered in the soup, but provides a nice flavor in the final product.  Salt and pepper are really the only seasoning necessary, but feel free to add fresh herbs of your choice for additional flavor.

For my soup, my roasted veggies consisted of: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, asparagus, brussels sprouts, and baby heirloom tomatoes.  I went heavier on the carrots and cauliflower than the green veggies, so that the color would not be unappealing.  Use vegetables that will roast well together- you don't necessarily want to use something like zucchini here, as it will cook much faster than the rest of the veggies.  For serving, I like to make homemade croutons with thin slices of french baguette brushed with a little olive oil, broiled until just toasted, and then add some fresh grated parmigiano reggiano and broil until just melted.  Serve the soup with a couple of croutons and extra bread for mopping up the last dregs in the bowl.  It is THAT good.

Pureed Roasted Vegetable Soup
Serves 4-6

4 cups roasted vegetables
4 cups chicken broth
1-2 cups water
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt/pepper to taste

Parmesan croutons:

French baguette slices
Olive oil
Grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1.  In a large pot, combine veggies, broth, water and garlic.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until vegetables are tender enough to puree.

2.  Using a stick blender, or in batches in a food processor, puree soup until smooth.

3.  For croutons, brush baguette slices with olive oil and broil until they barely begin to brown.

4.  Top with cheese and and broil about 1 minute longer until cheese melts and begins to brown.

5.  Serve soup with croutons.