Name: Root Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 celery stalks, finely diced; 1 medium parsnip, finely diced; 3 carrots, finely diced; ½ a large turnip, finely diced; ½ a large potato or Japanese sweet potato, peeled and finely diced; ½ a large or 1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped; 1 large or 2 small shallots, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 bay leaf; 1-inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and grated on a microplane; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 Tablespoon/15ml extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for fried sage leaves); 4 cups/960ml filtered water; Small bunch of fresh sage leaves for frying (optional)

Gluten-Free Grain-Free Vegetarian Vegan Paleo Dairy-Free Nut-Free Egg-Free No Refined Sugar

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Cold days call for a silky and golden hued root vegetable soup filled with a medley of winter root vegetables.

So here we are, in the thick of winter. With the holidays behind us and the promise of spring and summer still so far away, I ease into the New Year with both a bit of nostalgia as well as giddy anticipation for what awaits ahead. And as I get settled back into my old routines, after a month filled with excess and allowances, only root vegetable soup will do.

Winter is of course prime soup season; soothing, warming and nutritious, it’s a natural this time of year. Not just any kind of soup though, the kind that’s filled with a medley of winter vegetables like carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes and fennel, and makes for a satisfying meal.

Come winter, root vegetables are a cook’s best friend. They’re easy to find, store practically forever and mix and mingle together with such ease. Now’s the time to dive into those often forgotten vegetables like parsnips and turnips, and this creamy vegetable soup is one of the easiest way to do so.

How to make root vegetable soup:

Easy to make and even better the next day, it’s just the kind of thing to carry you through the winter months.

The golden color comes from the carrots and a touch of turmeric. And even though there’s a hodgepodge of vegetables involved, they don’t compete with one another, instead, they all work together to create a delicately flavored soup with just a hint of sweetness and spice.
There’s no sautéing or sweating of vegetables and no stock of any kind involved, just a quick chop and simmer in a large pot of water until meltingly tender and fragrant.
A quick spin in the blender until silky and smooth and dinner is served.
If I have the time I also like to top mine with a few fried sage leaves, to complement the earthy roots and create an elegant finish but a dollop of yogurt (regular or dairy-free) or a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds would be nice as well.

More warming soups:

4 Servings

Root Vegetable Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Cold days call for a silky and golden hued root vegetable soup filled with a medley of winter root vegetables

Ingredients

3 celery stalks, finely diced
1 medium parsnip, finely diced
3 carrots, finely diced
½ a large turnip, finely diced
½ a large potato or Japanese sweet potato, peeled and finely diced
½ a large or 1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
1 large or 2 small shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1-inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and grated on a microplane
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon/15ml extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for fried sage leaves)
4 cups/960ml filtered water
Small bunch of fresh sage leaves for frying (optional)

Instructions

Add all ingredients except for sage leaves to a large heavy bottomed soup or stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 40 minutes).
Remove bay leaf and purée soup in a high-speed blender, in batches if necessary.
Pour a thin layer of olive oil into a small skillet over medium-high heat. When oil begins to ripple lower heat and add sage leaves in a single layer. Fry for a few seconds (do not brown), then transfer leaves to a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Serve soup topped with fried sage leaves.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 616mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 3g

Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.

Comments

Carol Little R.H. @studiobotanica says

February 04, 2019 at 7:28 am

What a delicious soup. Mmmm.. I can almost taste it.
Super recipe. Thanks!! Perfect for a cold day.

Raia Todd says

January 04, 2019 at 12:25 pm

Love all the flavors included! Sounds so comforting.

Nan Emanuel says

January 02, 2019 at 6:05 pm

I'm loving the combination of veggies in this soup, the fennel undertones sound delicious. I've decided that since I'm already going to be cutting shallots that I would garnish the bowls with the fried sage leaves and frizzled shallots to lend an additional depth of flavor to the final dish. I can already taste it, yum!

Tessa Simpson says

January 02, 2019 at 5:12 pm

What a beautiful combo of ingredients, I am in love!!

Renee D Kohley says

January 02, 2019 at 11:52 am

So pretty! I love all those flavors - I like having soup like this for breakfast. Can't wait to try it!