Roasted Vegetable Soup

From the book Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen: 200 Easy Recipes for Healthy Weight Loss by Kathleen Daelemans

4 to 6 servings

Especially delicious in colder months when you're craving the kind of comfort food you shouldn't overindulge in. This hearty soup is great the night you make it and even better the next day.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Coarse-grained salt and cracked black pepper
• 6 cups [homemade] vegetable stock or chicken stock or canned broth
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 sprig rosemary or thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Throw all the vegetables and the garlic into a plastic bag (one of the bags you brought them home in).
3. Pour 1-tablespoon oil into bag with veggies and shake until well coated.
4. Spread vegetables onto a rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and roast, turning once or twice, until nicely browned, about 45 minutes.
5. Scrape vegetables except the garlic into large soup pot.
6. Peel the garlic and place it back on the baking sheet.
7. Set the baking sheet on the largest burner you have over medium-high heat and pour 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock and the balsamic vinegar over the pan.
8. Deglaze by stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the baking pan.
9. Magically, all the tasty nibbly bits will come loose and the garlic will disintegrate into pan juices.
10. Pour this viscous sauce directly into soup pot with vegetables.
11. Add remaining 5-1/2 cups stock to soup pot with rosemary or thyme.
12. Bring to a simmer, taste, and adjust seasonings.
13. Cover and cook slowly until flavors are blended, about 20 minutes.
14. Add water as necessary to thin soup.
15. Remove herb sprigs and serve immediately.

Shortcut Chef: Peel and chop vegetables the night before while you're watching TV or listening to the radio. Store them in a plastic bag with oil and pepper. Hold the salt or vegetables will throw their water and steam instead of roasting to golden brown. Salt vegetables just before you put them in the oven.

The recipe says to cut all vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Unless you've studied culinary arts abroad, this is practically impossible. The point is to keep the vegetables uniform in size so they'll cook evenly.

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