Mood Food: Winter Foods Part 3, Creamy Roasted Vegetable Potato Soup

OK, I hear you “Lucy, you’ve got some ‘splanin to do." Why are we talking about winter? Well, because “Mood Food, Fall and Winter Foods for times when I’m so busy I can’t even think about dinner and I need something to pull out of the freezer” was too long of a title.

I know it is really hard to think about soup when it is 92 degrees outside. In fact, it is hard for me to think about soup. But I have a plan for winter foods here and if I deviate from my little plans it just messes up my whole day. I’m kind of like Monk that way. Not to mention that this is a great time to start cleaning out the freezer, combining the single waffles left over from boxes into one Ziploc bag, identifying the freezer-burned baggies of mystery meat and finding a use for the ¼ bags of frozen veggies left over from family dinners. Those veggies have purpose and it is time for us to guide them on their path to enlightenment.

Winter sucks, the days drag and travel is hard. Even getting around town is an effort with all the slush and mess. That is the reason for the preemptive strike of Winter Foods. We need easy-to-warm meals that make coming home more relaxing and dinner less of a hassle. Even before winter hits the hustle and bustle of school and work days are enough to make us want to pull our hair out. I want dinner to be easy for you and special for your family at the same time. So dig out the freezer, retrieve your leftover frozen corn niblets and let’s make a soup to remember.

Creamy Roasted Vegetable Potato Soup

Equipment List

sheet tray
1 large sauce pot for the soup
1 medium size pot to boil potatoes
1 small skillet for bacon
1 small sauce pan for roux
immersion blender or food processor (if you do not have an immersion blender see the note at the bottom of the recipe)
non-stick spray
4 gallon size freezer bags
wax paper
ladle
wire whisk
Oven at 375

Ingredient List

1/2 gallon of milk 2%
1 quart Half & Half
1/4 c flour (you may need less depending on preference for thickness)
1 c each broccoli, cauliflower, corn
5 strips of bacon
10 potatoes, peeled (use red or Yukon Gold, you can leave the skin on the red)
1 onion diced
2 bulbs of garlic (we are going to roast it)
¼ c fresh parsley
4 tblsp butter or margarine
S&P

Putting It All Together

Fill your potato pot with cold water. Peel and slice your potatoes. It does not matter what size, as long as the size is similar, they will be getting blended a bit later. Take a sheet tray and give it a quick non-stick spray. On it put your cauliflower, broccoli, onions and corn, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Now we learned how to roast garlic a few weeks ago but as a refresher take the bulb of garlic and cut off the top. Wrap loosely, but sealed, in aluminum foil and put on the side of the sheet tray that you are roasting your vegies on. Place the sheet tray in the oven and let roast, about 35-45 minutes or until the veggies start to turn brown from the heat. Put the potatoes on the stove and let come to a boil. Once the water is boiling salt it generously.

While the roasting is going on put the milk and the Half & Half in the soup pot and set on the stove, do not put any heat on it at this point. Dice your strips of bacon. Add to a small skillet and cook until crispy, set aside but do not drain off the grease.

Start the heat under the milk and Half & Half, keep it on low. Take the 4 tblsp butter and melt it over low heat, add the ¼ cup flour and stir continuously until it forms a thin paste. This is your roux and will be used to thicken the soup. Add the roux to the milk and whisk until combined.

Drain the potatoes and add to the milk mixture, use a large spoon to do this, you will wear the milk if you dump them, trust me. Then add the vegies and the bacon. Take your bulbs of garlic and give them a squeeze from the root end. This will push the roasted garlic out. Squeeze it out onto a cutting board or plate and use a towel if they are hot. Another trick is to lay the bulb on the cutting board and using a butter knife push from the root end to release the garlic.

Now that it is all in the pot let it cook on medium heat for about half an hour, stir often. This will ensure that the veggies are soft and the immersion blender can handle them. turn off the heat and dip the blender into the soup. Blend until almost smooth. A few bits add texture, you just want to get rid rid of the big pieces. Allow to cook for about another half hour. Add the parsley right at the end.

Now you can serve this right away or freeze it.

To freeze, let cool overnight in the fridge. The next day fill gallon size Ziploc bags halfway with the soup. Lay them flat in the freezer, stacking them, with a sheet of wax paper between each bag so the do not stick together.

Be sure to taste for salt. Add the salt and pepper to your liking. Remember the only seasoning we added was to the water for the potatoes and to veggies for roasting.

Note: If you do not have an immersion blender give the potatoes and the veggies a swirl in the food processor before adding them to the soup.

This recipe is great for warming a cool night and for dipping bread in, hint!!!!