Turkey Sage and Roasted Vegetable Soup

Turkey Sage and Roasted Vegetable Soup
Need more leftover turkey ideas? Click here for over a dozen more,

Leftover turkey is never a problem in our house, especially for Spouse who is a big fan of leftover turkey soup. We always make turkey stock from the leftover turkey carcass and neck every single time we roast a turkey. We most often use it in a delicious soup but some gets frozen in small plastic airtight containers to use in soups and other recipes and some of it always gets used to help make the gravy on the occasion of our next roast turkey dinner.

This soup is a great recipe for the day that you make your turkey stock. Our turkey stock normally simmers slowly for a couple of hours which leaves plenty of time to peel, chop and roast the vegetables before a quick simmer together to complete the soup.

Turkey Sage and Roasted Vegetable Soup

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

A perfect soup for the day you make turkey stock and a delicious cold weather, comfort food way to use leftover turkey.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: Approximately 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: About 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 large parsnip, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup diced turnip
• 1 large diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large tomatoes, diced large
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 8 cups turkey stock
• salt and pepper to season
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 3 cups leftover roast turkey, diced or shredded

Cooking Directions

1. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Toss all of the vegetables, tomatoes and garlic together with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in a shallow pan or on a baking sheet in a single layer for about 45 minutes or until the edges of the vegetables just begin to turn brown and caramelize.
4. Transfer the vegetables to a soup pot and add the turkey stock and sage.
5. Season again with salt and pepper if necessary and simmer for only about 20 minutes.
6. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add the leftover turkey.
7. Remove the soup from the heat and just before serving stir the spinach leaves into the pot. Alternatively, you can add some spinach leaves to each of the bowls before ladling in the soup. This is an especially good idea if you expect to have leftover soup for serving later. It is always best to add the spinach at the last minute before serving to preserve the color which makes for a much nicer presentation. 

Need more leftover turkey ideas? Click here for over a dozen more,

Turkey Sage and Roasted Vegetable Soup
Need more leftover turkey ideas? Click here for over a dozen more,

Leftover turkey is never a problem in our house, especially for Spouse who is a big fan of leftover turkey soup. We always make turkey stock from the leftover turkey carcass and neck every single time we roast a turkey. We most often use it in a delicious soup but some gets frozen in small plastic airtight containers to use in soups and other recipes and some of it always gets used to help make the gravy on the occasion of our next roast turkey dinner.

This soup is a great recipe for the day that you make your turkey stock. Our turkey stock normally simmers slowly for a couple of hours which leaves plenty of time to peel, chop and roast the vegetables before a quick simmer together to complete the soup.

Turkey Sage and Roasted Vegetable Soup

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

A perfect soup for the day you make turkey stock and a delicious cold weather, comfort food way to use leftover turkey.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: Approximately 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: About 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 large parsnip, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup diced turnip
• 1 large diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large tomatoes, diced large
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 8 cups turkey stock
• salt and pepper to season
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 3 cups leftover roast turkey, diced or shredded

Cooking Directions

1. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Toss all of the vegetables, tomatoes and garlic together with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast in a shallow pan or on a baking sheet in a single layer for about 45 minutes or until the edges of the vegetables just begin to turn brown and caramelize.
4. Transfer the vegetables to a soup pot and add the turkey stock and sage.
5. Season again with salt and pepper if necessary and simmer for only about 20 minutes.
6. In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add the leftover turkey.
7. Remove the soup from the heat and just before serving stir the spinach leaves into the pot. Alternatively, you can add some spinach leaves to each of the bowls before ladling in the soup. This is an especially good idea if you expect to have leftover soup for serving later. It is always best to add the spinach at the last minute before serving to preserve the color which makes for a much nicer presentation. 

Need more leftover turkey ideas? Click here for over a dozen more,

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Maple Roasted Vegetables

Maple Roasted Vegetables

We adore our Roast Potatoes here in the Parsons household but truth be told, whenever they are in the oven they are most likely always sharing space with other roasted vegetables too, especially carrots and parsnips. After a visit to our local farmers market last week, Sunday dinner got this beautifully colorful addition to our Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Turkey.

I only add the maple syrup to these vegetables after they are partially cooked so that the sugar in the syrup does not burn. This allows the veggies to develop a little caramelization before the light glaze of maple syrup finishes them off.

Maple Roasted Vegetables

Maple Roasted Vegetables

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Roasted Autumn vegetables with a light lemon, maple glaze.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 60 minutes
Total time: 75 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
Ingredients

• 2 carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 parsnips, thickly sliced
• 1 large red onion, cut in wedges
• 1 lemon
• 1 small butternut squash, cut in chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 6 yellow beets, quartered
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt
• pinch black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp pure maple syrup

Cooking Directions

1. Toss all of the ingredients, except the maple syrup together with the olive oil.
2. Roast in a single layer in a 350 degree oven for approximately 1/2 hour.
3. Squeeze the roasted lemon over the rest of the vegetables and add the maple syrup.
4. Toss together well to coat all the vegetables and roast for about another 30 minutes or until all of the vegetables are fork tender.
5. Toss the vegetables several times during the last of the cooking time to glaze the vegetables in the maple syrup.

Maple Roasted Vegetables

We adore our Roast Potatoes here in the Parsons household but truth be told, whenever they are in the oven they are most likely always sharing space with other roasted vegetables too, especially carrots and parsnips. After a visit to our local farmers market last week, Sunday dinner got this beautifully colorful addition to our Lemon Sage Butter Roasted Turkey.

I only add the maple syrup to these vegetables after they are partially cooked so that the sugar in the syrup does not burn. This allows the veggies to develop a little caramelization before the light glaze of maple syrup finishes them off.

Maple Roasted Vegetables

Maple Roasted Vegetables

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Roasted Autumn vegetables with a light lemon, maple glaze.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 60 minutes
Total time: 75 minutes
Yield: Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
Ingredients

• 2 carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 parsnips, thickly sliced
• 1 large red onion, cut in wedges
• 1 lemon
• 1 small butternut squash, cut in chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 6 yellow beets, quartered
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• pinch salt
• pinch black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp pure maple syrup

Cooking Directions

1. Toss all of the ingredients, except the maple syrup together with the olive oil.
2. Roast in a single layer in a 350 degree oven for approximately 1/2 hour.
3. Squeeze the roasted lemon over the rest of the vegetables and add the maple syrup.
4. Toss together well to coat all the vegetables and roast for about another 30 minutes or until all of the vegetables are fork tender.
5. Toss the vegetables several times during the last of the cooking time to glaze the vegetables in the maple syrup.

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Apple and Shallot Roasted Chicken

Apple and Shallot Roasted Chicken

This terrific roasted chicken recipe is a bit of a one pot wonder. Other than the roasted garlic mashed potatoes, which we prepared separately, the components of this meal all came from the same roasting pan. The whole chicken is simply roasted on a bed of shallots, carrots, parsnip and apples. Once roasted, the chicken and vegetables are removed and the pan drippings get skimmed of excess fat then pureed with the roasted apples, shallots and garlic into a simple gravy-like sauce to serve over the chicken. This makes a terrific Sunday dinner or if you have a free afternoon, this can roast away for a couple of hours while you run errands. In the last 20 minutes of roasting time you can prepare some mashed potatoes and enjoy an exceptional evening meal with not much effort at all.

Serves 4 - 6

• One 3 - 4 pound chicken, washed, trussed and seasoned with salt and pepper

To an open roasting pan add:

• 3 large apples, peeled cored and diced large
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled
• 1 pound shallots, peeled
• 2 springs fresh rosemary
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced or cut in sticks
• 1 pound parsnip, sliced or cut in sticks 

Toss all together then place the chicken on top of the vegetables and roast, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for about 2 hours depending on the size of the chicken. I always use a meat thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the breast meat and take it out of the oven when the temperature hits 180-185 degrees F. Baste the chicken several times with the pan drippings during the roasting time. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Remove the carrots, parsnip, rosemary and garlic from the pan. Skim any excess fat from the pan. Puree the skimmed drippings along with the roasted apples and shallots to make the sauce. You can add a couple of cloves of the roasted garlic as well if you like. Some of the roasted garlic can also be used in the mashed potatoes if you like. If you find the sauce is a little too thin, just simmer it for a few minutes to reduce the volume and thicken it.

Apple and Shallot Roasted Chicken

This terrific roasted chicken recipe is a bit of a one pot wonder. Other than the roasted garlic mashed potatoes, which we prepared separately, the components of this meal all came from the same roasting pan. The whole chicken is simply roasted on a bed of shallots, carrots, parsnip and apples. Once roasted, the chicken and vegetables are removed and the pan drippings get skimmed of excess fat then pureed with the roasted apples, shallots and garlic into a simple gravy-like sauce to serve over the chicken. This makes a terrific Sunday dinner or if you have a free afternoon, this can roast away for a couple of hours while you run errands. In the last 20 minutes of roasting time you can prepare some mashed potatoes and enjoy an exceptional evening meal with not much effort at all.

Serves 4 - 6

• One 3 - 4 pound chicken, washed, trussed and seasoned with salt and pepper

To an open roasting pan add:

• 3 large apples, peeled cored and diced large
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled
• 1 pound shallots, peeled
• 2 springs fresh rosemary
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced or cut in sticks
• 1 pound parsnip, sliced or cut in sticks 

Toss all together then place the chicken on top of the vegetables and roast, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for about 2 hours depending on the size of the chicken. I always use a meat thermometer pushed into the thickest part of the breast meat and take it out of the oven when the temperature hits 180-185 degrees F. Baste the chicken several times with the pan drippings during the roasting time. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving.

Remove the carrots, parsnip, rosemary and garlic from the pan. Skim any excess fat from the pan. Puree the skimmed drippings along with the roasted apples and shallots to make the sauce. You can add a couple of cloves of the roasted garlic as well if you like. Some of the roasted garlic can also be used in the mashed potatoes if you like. If you find the sauce is a little too thin, just simmer it for a few minutes to reduce the volume and thicken it.

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Fried Chicken Stew with Corn Flour Dumplings

Fried Chicken Stew with Corn Flour Dumplings

Spouse will not hesitate to tell you that I'm no chronic house cleaner but I do insist on having a safe, sanitized kitchen. My insistence comes from having worked in a couple of downtown restaurants in my twenties, where I learned a lot about food safety and proper handling and storage of food. I still wipe down all surfaces before preparing foods, maintain separate cutting boards for meat and produce, use a meat thermometer to ensure safe cooking temperature, store meats on the bottom shelf in their plastic shopping bags and make sure the fridge temperature is below 4 degrees C.

I've also always been a dedicated hand washer in the kitchen. I always wash my hands well before starting to cook and several times when preparing any meal, especially after handing raw meat. Recently, just as we were planning a kitchen facelift with new paint colors and appliances, I was asked by Delta to test and honestly review their TOUCH₂O  kitchen faucet. I'd seen the commercials many times on the Food Network and was definitely intrigued by how they worked.


When your hands are messy, the faucet can be turned on and off again by simply touching anywhere on the faucet or handle with the back of your wrist, forearm or elbow. Not only a terrific convenience, this feature is enormously helpful in preventing cross contamination of foods you are preparing.

The faucet is high quality and very well made. The touch technology is battery operated which means there is no need for a hard wired electrical connection. It has worked flawlessly since we had it installed and it also has other great features like a retractable hose connected to the head which can act as a sprayer when rinsing dishes or cleaning the sink. My previous faucet had separate hot and cold faucet handles which leaves a third opening next to the faucet but no worries, Delta cleverly solved that problem with a built in soap dispenser. The styling and finish are beautiful too and I think it looks just great in my kitchen. We've been using the faucet for several weeks now and I have to say I'm very happy with it indeed.For more information on Delta faucets, please visit the Delta website.

Our new TOUCH₂O faucet came in particularly handy when I was de-boning an entire chicken to make one of our families favorite comfort food meals, Fried Chicken Stew. This is a sort of deconstructed stew that starts with a roasted vegetable oven stew, then adds some delicious boneless, skinless fried chicken pieces and of course, some light, delicious corn flour dumplings for an amazing comfort food meal that our family particularly loves on a chilly autumn or winter evening.

This stew is also one of the first things I ever cooked for Spouse back in the day and still one of her favorite meals. She's still sticking around after 17 years...maybe it's just for the stew? ;)

Serves 6

Cut into medium sized chunks:

• 6 large carrots
• 6 parsnips
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 large onion

Toss the vegetables into a roasting pan along with 4 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to season. Roast in a 400 degree F for about a half hour or until the vegetables are fork tender.

For the fried chicken combine:

• 
  
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp powered thyme
• 1 tbsp powdered sage
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried marjoram
• 1 tbsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tbsp powdered ginger
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper

Mix thoroughly to make sure spices are evenly distributed in the mix.

Heat 2 inches vegetable oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy bottomed pot to 350 degrees F.

Cut 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken pieces into nugget or finger sized pieces. Dip the pieces into an egg wash of 1 egg and 2 tbsp water whisked together. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour and spice mixture and fry in the oil until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Hold in a warm oven.

For the gravy, simmer together until the volume is reduced by about 1/3:

• 6 cups chicken stock (use sodium free or low sodium if using store bought stock)
• 2 tbsp summer savoury or oregano
• ½ tsp ground sage
• ½ tsp ground thyme

Thicken the gravy with a slurry of flour and water; shake together about 6 tbsp flour to ¾ cup water and whisk into the boiling seasoned stock but don’t make the gravy too thick. You may require more or less of the thickening slurry depending upon how much you have reduced the chicken stock. Season the gravy with salt and pepper at this point. Seasoning before this point may result in an over seasoned gravy.

Pour the gravy over the roasted vegetables. Add:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, green beans or okra.
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn

Stir. Drop dumpling dough on top of the stew and return the roasting pan to the oven for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees F until the dumplings spring back when pressed lightly at the center.

Dumplings:

• 2 cups corn flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Pinch salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup lukewarm water or milk

Sift together dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and water or milk. Beat with a wooden spoon only until all the liquid is incorporated. Do NOT over mix. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls on top of the stew. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees F or until the dumplings spring back when lightly pressed at the center.

Add the chicken pieces to the stew when serving.

Fried Chicken Stew with Corn Flour Dumplings

Spouse will not hesitate to tell you that I'm no chronic house cleaner but I do insist on having a safe, sanitized kitchen. My insistence comes from having worked in a couple of downtown restaurants in my twenties, where I learned a lot about food safety and proper handling and storage of food. I still wipe down all surfaces before preparing foods, maintain separate cutting boards for meat and produce, use a meat thermometer to ensure safe cooking temperature, store meats on the bottom shelf in their plastic shopping bags and make sure the fridge temperature is below 4 degrees C.

I've also always been a dedicated hand washer in the kitchen. I always wash my hands well before starting to cook and several times when preparing any meal, especially after handing raw meat. Recently, just as we were planning a kitchen facelift with new paint colors and appliances, I was asked by Delta to test and honestly review their TOUCH₂O  kitchen faucet. I'd seen the commercials many times on the Food Network and was definitely intrigued by how they worked.


When your hands are messy, the faucet can be turned on and off again by simply touching anywhere on the faucet or handle with the back of your wrist, forearm or elbow. Not only a terrific convenience, this feature is enormously helpful in preventing cross contamination of foods you are preparing.

The faucet is high quality and very well made. The touch technology is battery operated which means there is no need for a hard wired electrical connection. It has worked flawlessly since we had it installed and it also has other great features like a retractable hose connected to the head which can act as a sprayer when rinsing dishes or cleaning the sink. My previous faucet had separate hot and cold faucet handles which leaves a third opening next to the faucet but no worries, Delta cleverly solved that problem with a built in soap dispenser. The styling and finish are beautiful too and I think it looks just great in my kitchen. We've been using the faucet for several weeks now and I have to say I'm very happy with it indeed.For more information on Delta faucets, please visit the Delta website.

Our new TOUCH₂O faucet came in particularly handy when I was de-boning an entire chicken to make one of our families favorite comfort food meals, Fried Chicken Stew. This is a sort of deconstructed stew that starts with a roasted vegetable oven stew, then adds some delicious boneless, skinless fried chicken pieces and of course, some light, delicious corn flour dumplings for an amazing comfort food meal that our family particularly loves on a chilly autumn or winter evening.

This stew is also one of the first things I ever cooked for Spouse back in the day and still one of her favorite meals. She's still sticking around after 17 years...maybe it's just for the stew? ;)

Serves 6

Cut into medium sized chunks:

• 6 large carrots
• 6 parsnips
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 large onion

Toss the vegetables into a roasting pan along with 4 tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to season. Roast in a 400 degree F for about a half hour or until the vegetables are fork tender.

For the fried chicken combine:

• 
  
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp powered thyme
• 1 tbsp powdered sage
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried marjoram
• 1 tbsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tbsp powdered ginger
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper

Mix thoroughly to make sure spices are evenly distributed in the mix.

Heat 2 inches vegetable oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy bottomed pot to 350 degrees F.

Cut 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken pieces into nugget or finger sized pieces. Dip the pieces into an egg wash of 1 egg and 2 tbsp water whisked together. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour and spice mixture and fry in the oil until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Hold in a warm oven.

For the gravy, simmer together until the volume is reduced by about 1/3:

• 6 cups chicken stock (use sodium free or low sodium if using store bought stock)
• 2 tbsp summer savoury or oregano
• ½ tsp ground sage
• ½ tsp ground thyme

Thicken the gravy with a slurry of flour and water; shake together about 6 tbsp flour to ¾ cup water and whisk into the boiling seasoned stock but don’t make the gravy too thick. You may require more or less of the thickening slurry depending upon how much you have reduced the chicken stock. Season the gravy with salt and pepper at this point. Seasoning before this point may result in an over seasoned gravy.

Pour the gravy over the roasted vegetables. Add:

• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, green beans or okra.
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn

Stir. Drop dumpling dough on top of the stew and return the roasting pan to the oven for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees F until the dumplings spring back when pressed lightly at the center.

Dumplings:

• 2 cups corn flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Pinch salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup lukewarm water or milk

Sift together dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and water or milk. Beat with a wooden spoon only until all the liquid is incorporated. Do NOT over mix. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls on top of the stew. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees F or until the dumplings spring back when lightly pressed at the center.

Add the chicken pieces to the stew when serving.

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The Best Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

No, pumpkins are not just for Halloween Jack O' Lanterns and Thanksgiving pies. We also use our pumpkins in muffins and in a pumpkin loaf cake that I've been making since childhood too. Since Spouse is such a soup fan, we often roast off some pumpkin and a couple of root vegetables and with the help of a little vegetable stock turn it into  a very satisfying fall soup. I like to puree pumpkin soup into a silky smooth consistency but you really don't have to. Spouse prefers it more rustic style with the vegetables and pumpkin cut in bite sized pieces to roast and then simmering them with the seasonings and vegetable stock for just a  few minutes before serving. Either way, it's well worth the
little effort it takes to make a delicious soup full of the sweet roasted bounty of Autumn.

The Best Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

The best pumpkin soup I have ever tried with the added natural sweetness of seasonal root vegetables and roasted garlic. Makes terrific Fall appetizer course or an amazing vegetarian lunch.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: Approximately 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients

• 4 -5 cups diced peeled pumpkin
• 2 large carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 large thickly sliced parsnips (or diced celeriac, i.e. celery root)
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 head garlic (still in the skins)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 to 3 cups vegetable stock, enough to bring the puree to the thickness you prefer
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• pinch ground paprika
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme ( or 1 tbsp dry thyme)
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Toss together the pumpkin, carrots, parsnips (or celeriac), onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Roast in a shallow baking pan at 350 degrees F for about 35-45 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.
3. Remove the roasted garlic from the skins and add to a food processor along with the other vegetables. You may need to do this in two batches and you may need to add a little vegetable stock to process well. Puree very well until no lumps are present and the puree is very smooth.
4. Transfer to a saucepan and add the vegetable stock, smoked paprika. cloves, thyme, salt and pepper.
5. Simmer very slowly for only 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, before serving. 

The Best Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

No, pumpkins are not just for Halloween Jack O' Lanterns and Thanksgiving pies. We also use our pumpkins in muffins and in a pumpkin loaf cake that I've been making since childhood too. Since Spouse is such a soup fan, we often roast off some pumpkin and a couple of root vegetables and with the help of a little vegetable stock turn it into  a very satisfying fall soup. I like to puree pumpkin soup into a silky smooth consistency but you really don't have to. Spouse prefers it more rustic style with the vegetables and pumpkin cut in bite sized pieces to roast and then simmering them with the seasonings and vegetable stock for just a  few minutes before serving. Either way, it's well worth the
little effort it takes to make a delicious soup full of the sweet roasted bounty of Autumn.

The Best Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

The best pumpkin soup I have ever tried with the added natural sweetness of seasonal root vegetables and roasted garlic. Makes terrific Fall appetizer course or an amazing vegetarian lunch.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: Approximately 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients

• 4 -5 cups diced peeled pumpkin
• 2 large carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 large thickly sliced parsnips (or diced celeriac, i.e. celery root)
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 1/2 head garlic (still in the skins)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 to 3 cups vegetable stock, enough to bring the puree to the thickness you prefer
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• pinch ground paprika
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme ( or 1 tbsp dry thyme)
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Toss together the pumpkin, carrots, parsnips (or celeriac), onion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Roast in a shallow baking pan at 350 degrees F for about 35-45 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.
3. Remove the roasted garlic from the skins and add to a food processor along with the other vegetables. You may need to do this in two batches and you may need to add a little vegetable stock to process well. Puree very well until no lumps are present and the puree is very smooth.
4. Transfer to a saucepan and add the vegetable stock, smoked paprika. cloves, thyme, salt and pepper.
5. Simmer very slowly for only 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, before serving. 

The Best Roasted Pumpkin Soup

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