I have one guiding principle in the kitchen that has never led me astray, WWID. Translation, "What would Ina Do?" That would be Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa for those of you who are unfamiliar. What can I say, her presentation in the kitchen is impeccable. It's refinement at its best. From the food she prepares to the qualities ingredients she uses to the parties she throws. Clearly I'm inspired.
The irony of my fandom is that I am only able to prepare about 5% of what Ina makes. However, being gluten free, meat free, and dairy free doesn't stop me from admiring art when I see it. Plus there are the few meals that I can prepare as is from her recipe repertoire or augment to fit my dietary needs, like this roasted winter vegetable soup. For this, I swapped chicken broth for vegetable broth added a few personal touches to the recipe to make it a version all my own. Check out the how-to guide below. Enjoy!
RECIPE
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 pound carrots
- 1 pound parsnips
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 small butternut squash
- 2 cups cooked white beans
- 3 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth
- himalayan pink salt
- fresh crushed black pepper
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
- juice of half a lemon
- croutons for serving (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Chop all vegetables into large cubes. Arrange vegetables on a cookie sheet then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are soft.
In a large cocotte/dutch oven, combine 4 cups of vegetable broth, onion powder, garlic granules, thyme, roasted vegetables, and white beans. Bring ingredients to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs (the leaves will fall off leaving behind the sticks). Transfer broth and vegetables to a blender and coarsely blend to leave some texture to the soup. Return blended soup to the pot and season more if needed. Also if you prefer a thinner soup add additional broth until you reach your desired texture. Add lemon juice and simmer to combine the flavors. Serve warm.
CROUTONS
For this I used gluten free sourdough bread and the results were amazing.
Cut loaf into 1 inch slices. Remove crust and dice into 3/4 inch pieces. Toss bread with olive oil, pink salt, and pepper. Roast in oven at 350 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes until bread is brown and crusty. Serve on top of soup.
recipe adapted from Ina Garten's Roasted Vegetable Soup