"Raise the Dead" Veggie Soup

Winter is here, which means that soup season is in full swing. Admittedly, I don't get enough vegetables into my body as I should, so I figured a good vegetable soup might just take care of that. This recipe isn't your ordinary, watered-down vegetable soup. It's about as thick as a soup can get, has amazing flavor, and gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling that we all need when the mercury drops. With five nutrition-rich vegetables, along with vegetable stock as a base, it is very possible that this soup could raise the dead...it's THAT good.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes (for veggies), 15-20 minutes for soup

Preheat Oven: 400 degrees

Ingredients

1/4 c. olive oil

1 small butternut squash (or 1/2 of a med. squash), peeled, seeded, and cubed

2 c. baby carrots

1 large parsnip (peeled and cut into small pieces)

1 med. zuchinni (peeled and cut into small pieces)

3-4 cloves of raw garlic (crushed)

1/2 vidalia onion, quartered

1 tsp. thyme

4 c. vegetable stock (32 oz.)

salt to taste

Directions

Place olive oil in a large bowl. Add the prepared vegetables and toss until coated in the oil. Add a few pinches of salt and 1 tsp. thyme. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer on one baking sheet.  Roast for 50 minutes until tender, turning the vegetables occasionally to make sure they brown evenly.

Remove from oven, and transfer the vegetables to a large pot. Pour the vegetable stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, season to taste, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender (or use a hand blender) and process for a few minutes until thick and smooth. Return the soup to the pot to heat through.

Serves six.

Hungry for more? 

If you want to add a bit of protein to this soup, throw in some cooked shrimp, or even some left over meatballs that you may have in your refrigerator.

Happy Eating!