Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

Please continue to vote, vote everyday at the Kelly Ripa Cake off for a Cause.  Support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund!

Our poor little cake is in last place with no hope of gaining any steam.  I appreciate all of your votes!

Hope all of you had a Happy Mardi Gras!  You must be sluggish from all that partying and you need something warm and healthy and meat-free today, Ash Wednesday.  You came to the right place, I have a soup for you that is going to knock your socks off!

The method of this soup is so handy for any vegetables you you want to use up plus you can switch vegetables to suit your taste. 

I started off with a couple of russet potatoes, a yellow onion, a turnip, celery root, carrots and parsnips.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, peel and dice the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Toss vegetables to evenly coat with oil. 

Roast the vegetables for 30 to 45 minutes.  Until vegetbles are "mashable" and slightly golden brown.  The roasting really enhances the flavors of the vegetables as opposed to sauteing them in the pot.  Also, you will use a lot less oil. 

Place vegetables in a large pot or stock pot over medium heat and mash with a potato masher.  This is a rustic, country soup so you want it to have a thick, chunky consistency.

Add approximately 2-1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock 1/2 cup at a time to the vegetables.  You can add a cup more stock to thn it out. Thoroughly combine.  Season with salt, pepper, coriander and red pepper flakes to taste.

The soup will be thick.  If you prefer a smoother soup, feel free to run your emersion blender in the pot ot achieve a velvety consistency.

Top the soup off with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.

Just for the record, I AM NOT the person that keeps praying for snow!  = )