Roasted Veggie Soup

I recall a trip that I took to Europe where I was bowled over by a wonderous soup they called something like vegetable potage.  Thick, pureed and full of complex flavors it was much better than the salty, watery stuff I knew of as vegetable soup (which usually came from a can).  When I learned to cook and especially when I learned about great ways to serve vegetables, I found that roasting vegetables is one of the miraculous ways of obtaining delicious, non-sulphery tasting vegetables where the natural flavors and sugars stand out.  I love combining the two concepts in a roasted vegetable soup.  This can be made entirely from vegetables and stock.  I usually make a double portion of roasted vegetables at dinner, so that I have leftovers to use for soup the next day.  With the vegetable part done, the whole soup comes together quickly.  You can make a large batch and freeze in individual portions.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

3-4 cups of roasted vegetables, see below
2-3 cups of stock, (boxed or homemade)
1 onion, diced
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t curry powder (I use Madras medium)
1 T tomato paste
1 T lemon juice or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent.  Add the curry powder and dry fry to release the oils from the curry.  Add the stock, vegetables, and tomato paste, and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes (vegetables are already fully cooked).  Using an immersion blender, (or puree in batches with a regular blender) puree until a thick consistency, but not fully smooth.  Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste.

Roasted Vegetables

4 cups vegetables, cut into bite sized pieces
I use a combination of brussels sprouts, zucchini, carrots, peppers
try to use one sweeter vegetable such as carrots or butternut squash
2 T olive oil
herbs and spices as desired (thyme, rosemary)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine vegetable pieces, olive oil and seasonings in a large bowl. Spread into a  single layer on a baking sheet and bake until vegetables are tender, browning, and have reduced in size considerably (about 35-40 minutes).  Stir once or twice while baking for even cooking.

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