Four-Way Root Vegetable Soup

[jesse_the_k]

sasha_feather came over for lunch last month, and we created NOM soup! I am immodestly proud of my soup summoning ways! It's perfect for winter since it doesn't require freshies. It even got a thumbs' up from the better beet bureau, aka were_duck

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Four-Way Root Vegetable Soup
SERVES: Four as a main course, six or eight as soup course

TOOLS
One burner
8 quart stock pot (the soup is only four quarts but it's much easier if you've got plenty of room to stir)
Tablespoon measure
One cup measure
Great sharp knife
(Immersion blender/food processor/blender/potato masher+strong arms) see note A
(Ladle)

PREP
measure:
One tablespoon cumin powder

mince:
Fresh ginger root big as your thumb (or more)
Two fat cloves of garlic (or more)
One small onion

pick stalks from, wash thoroughly, and drain:
Large handful fresh cilantro (Chinese parsley)

peel off skin and dice in half-inch cubes:
Two medium turnips
Two medium carrots
Two medium sweet potatoes
Two medium beets (see note B)

Mix
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base (see note C)
1 cup boiling water
stir vehemently until base is dissolved

ASSEMBLY
Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil (or whatever oil you prefer) in your soup pot
Heat on medium until fragrant (or you see the heat waves)

Stir in minced ginger, garlic, and onion thoroughly to coat with olive oil. Turn down to medium-low, stir frequently, and keep an eye on it so it caramelizes instead of burning (around 10 minutes)

Stir in diced root vegetables to coat. Cover and check every five minutes, stir if it makes you feel better (it does it for me). After they've joined in, cook for another 15 minutes.

Add in the bouillon-water mix, then three more cups water

It should come to the boil in around 8 minutes. Cover, turn down to low, and clean the kitchen for forty minutes.

This soup is tasty no matter how you serve it.

For sensuous delight, puree it, and it's transformed into gourmet orange fog. Serve in large bowls generously decorated with cilantro leaves.

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Variations
My original plan was to add around one-half cup of coconut milk right before serving, but after I tasted the puree, I realized it was thick and creamy all on its own. But if you're feeling the need for coconut milk, or heavy cream, or sour cream, this soup would be an excellent place to fold some in. For creamy + protein, some soft tofu in the puree stage would do nicely.

The root-vegetable proportions when mixed with 4 cups of liquid were perfect, and I'd leave them alone. To satisfy my unending protein hankerings, I sauteed 1/2 lb of pork tenderloin dice and plopped them in to the soup as we were about to eat. Let me know if you have other ideas!

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NOTES &c
A. Puree for heavenly texture.
I'm fortunate to have an immersion blender, which means I can puree something in place, without having to lift and pour hot heavy soup from a pot to a blender and back. But then my stock pot is non-stick, so I can't do it in place. But! I had sasha_feather over for lunch, and she did the heavy lifting. If you use a blender/food processor, you'll probably have to split the liquid into three portions.

B. Beet Peeling Frustration
I can't peel raw beets without gouging myself a lot. This method works but is a pain, so I welcome suggestions.
1. Snip off the greens one inch above the bellybutton
2. Drop beets in boiling water for five minutes
3. Pick them out of the water with the stem handles
4. Drop beets in ice cold water for five minutes
5. Grab the peeler and go

C. Better than Bouillon
This soup base (an aromatic, moist mix with the texture of toothpaste) is truly all that and a slice of coconut creme pie. They come in scores of flavors and a wonderful variety of containers, from an 8 oz home size to five-gallon plastic barrels. Yes, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, also chicken, ham, mushroom I can't remember them all.

Comments

[sonia]

The soup sounds delicious!

Do you have to peel the beets? I haven't been peeling mine, and they taste okay. I've been roasting much the same mix of root vegetables in the oven.

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks!

I bet you could start with the roasted veg and that would bring a lovely round taste to it.

As far as why peel the beets? Hmm, perhaps I always need to be doing something that's harder than it needs to be? ;,) My mom peeled mushrooms and asparagus, so I'm starting from an unfortunate position vis-à-vis the bundle of nutrients I'm peeling down the drain.

[sonia]

Huh, now I remember my mother peeling asparagus too. I had forgotten all about that. These days, I peel almost nothing, since 1) that would take more energy, and 2) my diet is so limited I need all the nutrients I can get.

[anatsuno]

Aw! I peel asparagus to make them softer, but I only wash or brush (or both) mushrooms. They tend to be much cleaner now in the state I buy them then they were years ago, anyway.

Thank you for this recipe! It is similar to some soups I made in the past but I've never used beets, so that's a good variation to try! You also made me envious towards this Better than Bouillion stuff. *__*

[cougars_catnip]

MMM sounds wonderful. Bet parsnips would be good in that too. :)
CC

[jesse_the_k]

Sad to say I've never tasted a parsnip -- is it sorta spicy-carrot, which is how I conceive of turnip?

[cougars_catnip]

It was described to me as ...

Parsnips resemble carrots, but are paler in colour than most carrots, and have a sweeter taste, especially when cooked. The buttery, slightly spicy, sweet flavor of cooked mature parsnips (often picked after the first frost) is reminiscent of butterscotch, honey, and subtle cardamom.

[cougars_catnip]

it is a little sweeter than a carrot, yes with kind of a spicy cardamon type flavor.