Skip to main content

Spicy Root Vegetable Soup with Goat Cheese

The perfect Sunday lunch.

 My friend Jill is a fabulous cook who throws fabulous dinner parties. One night, she served root vegetable soup, and it was the most fabulous of the many fabulous things I've eaten at her house. I demanded the recipe and it's become one of my favorites.

 I've made a few changes: First, I replaced heavy cream with milk, which I actually like better because the flavor of the vegetables really comes through. I replaced chicken stock with vegetable stock because I usually have it handy, and again, it really brings out the flavor of the vegetables. Next, I added cayenne pepper, because the spice in the midst of creamy soup makes it really interesting. And then I added goat cheese, because I have a tendency to add goat cheese to things. It was a good addition.

 If spinach/avocado pesto wasn't reason enough to get an immersion blender, consider this recipe your reason. If you used it only one time, to make this soup, it would be worth the investment.
Sliced leeks always make me feel like a fancy cook.

One goat-cheesey step away from perfection.


The Recipe:
1 tb unsalted butter
2 carrots, chopped
2 small (or 1 large) parsnips, chopped
1 leek, white and green parts, washed and sliced
1 celery rib, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
salt and pepper
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 c vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 c milk (I use 2%)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Goat cheese for garnish
  • In dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat.
  • Add the carrots, parsnips, leek, celery, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
  • Add potatoes and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes to release the starch.
  • Add the bay leaf, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and another pinch of salt. Cook 1 minute.
  • Add the vegetable stock. Bring to boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
  • Turn off heat and blend with immersion blender.
  • Stir in milk and season again with salt and pepper to taste.
  • When serving, top with crumbled goat cheese.

 The Verdict:
Overall grade: A+
Overall reason: I love recipes that make vegetables taste so delicious.
Time to prepare: 40 minutes
Husband quote: "This isn't just ANY parsnip-leek-carrot-potato-celery-garlic-goat cheese soup. This one packs a punch."


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.
2 comments
Read more

Pickled radishes

I made those! When the CSA box hands you radishes, you eat one. Then you try to give the rest to the neighbors. Then, left with no other option, you pickle them. Then you discover that the pickled radishes are really good. I followed  this super-simple method from My Korean Kitchen . I picked it because it had good reviews on Pinterest, but mostly because it was easy, and I wasn't willing to dedicate a lot of time and effort to these things that none of us really liked. But it turns out that they are delicious.  As is clear from the original recipe, these are good with Korean food. They are also good on Vietnamese rice bowls. And they are PERFECT on salad with hard boiled egg and honey-mustard dressing. And the toddler ate half of them in one sitting, just as a snack. We might actually need to buy more radishes. The Recipe: 1 bunch radishes 1 c water 1 c sugar 1 c white vinegar Pinch of salt Thinly slice the radish bulbs and place them in gla...
1 comment
Read more

Spicy Tomato Jam

Little pot of bubbling goodness seeks lentil patties, sweet potato fries, or pretty much anything else. I recently made  this recipe  from Crumb Blog for lentil patties with tomato jam. The lentil patties were pretty good, but the tomato jam was really something to write home about. It's one of those foods that makes you feel warm, even when it's cold. It has just the right balance of sweetness, acidity, and spice. The mustard seeds are a must (haha, must ard seeds). Their crunch, and the little burst of toasty peppery flavor that follows, are amazing in contrast to the rest of the flavors. The next time you're tempted to put ketchup on something, consider this instead.  I have a little bit of this gold left over in the freezer. I'm thinking I may thin it out with vegetable broth and use it as a sauce for a stir-fry. Stay tuned for the results. The only change I made to this recipe was upping the amount of mustard seeds. I think 1 tsp is the perfect a...
1 comment
Read more