Roasty Vegetable Soup Puree

A little more than a year ago, some coworkers and I were reading through a devotional book together and decided to meet during lunch so it wouldn't interfere with work, even though the book was work-related. 

We usually did a "bring your own" but one day we decided to make it a meal. Everybody brought something to accompany the Vegetable Soup I offered to make. It was a hit and a perfect lunch on a cool spring day. 

My husband was intrigued by the idea of a soup this healthy and really enjoyed the flavor but despises the mushy vegetables. So when I made it again - I pureed it. We both loved it so I kept developing the recipe (adding things like beans and replacing regular potatoes with sweet potatoes) and this is where we have landed.

If you choose not to puree and go with a traditional veggie soup - be sure to make your cuts nice and even, and small (you don't want to have to eat your soup with a knife and fork!).Because I puree, I just try to make sure my cuts are similar in size - but they aren't as pretty as they could be.

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil

1 Medium yellow onion, diced

2 cups peeled, diced carrots (about five carrots)

1 1/2 cups diced celery (about three stalks)

4 cloves of garlic minced or pressed

3 chipotle chilis, diced (use your discretion on whether or not you add seeds for heat)

1 tablespoon adobo from chipotle chilis (reserve more for seasoning - watch for seeds. )

2 32 ounce containers of vegetable broth

2 14.5 ounce cans, fire-roasted, diced tomatoes (crushed will do in a pinch)

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1/3 cup chopped, fresh parsley

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp thyme

1 1/2 cups frozen or canned green beans (make sure they are in bite-sized pieces. You can use fresh but should blanch or steam them first so that they don't end up too tough)

1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn

1 can beans (white beans or garbanzo work best) - optional and recommended for the puree version

Heat the olive oil in a large pot at medium high. 

Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté for about 4 minutes. The veggies will soften and start to brown a little. 

Add broth, tomatoes, chipotle, sweet potato, parsley, bay leaves and thyme and bring to a boil.

Once it is boiling, add the green beans.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender.

Add corn and beans.

Season! For this soup, I rely heavily on salt, pepper, adobo sauce and chipotle hot sauce (we love Cholula Chipotle for this). Soup is usually fairly bland when you start so season, taste, season, taste, season...taste. 

If you choose to puree - do this in small batches in your blender or with an immersion blender. I like to puree it all, pour it back into the large stock pot and re-taste, re-season if needed (the beans and potatoes can dull the flavor). 

I store it in several containers - freeze some and refrigerate the rest. It's good for about a week in the fridge and several months in the freezer (defrost in the refrigerator).

We serve it with a little bit of queso. I usually enjoy a piece of avocado toast with it.

Fenway has accompanied me on some 

trips to our office during this quarantine. 

Here she is at the CEO's desk acting as the CDO (Chief Dog Officer), helping make 

sure all is well at FaithBridge.

This makes a LOT of soup and it 

freezes well.