You know what one of my favorite things is? When I totally improvise in the kitchen, not expecting anything, other then to get some food into our tummies and think about what I really want to cook. Except, the thing I so unthoughtfully cooked turns out being fantastic. Like this soup, for example.
Since I’ve been eating a lot of salads lately, I started roasting some veggies, cooking quinoa, wheat berries and other food prep on the weekends so salads come together really easy and fast.
This soup was put together with yams and beets that were pre-roasted and it took less then ten minutes from beginning to the end. I topped it with some garlic croutons that I sometimes put in my salad (I also make them, I can’t stand store bought croutons).
If that doesn’t make it worth to prep food in advance, I don’t know what does.
The soup was creamy, filling, and just delicious.
Roasted Beets and Yams Soup
Soup
3 cups of roasted beets and yams
some olive oil, salt, pepper and dried or fresh thyme for roasting
4 cups of vegetable stock
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 tsp of herbs de Provence
salt and pepper
This first step can be made few days in advance. Peel the beets and the yams and cut them into 1′ by 2′ chunks. Put them in a bowl and season with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper and about a teaspoon of dried thyme. if you are using fresh thyme, use about a tablespoon. Roast the vegetables on 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Put the roasted vegetables into a pot with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil, lower the heat and add herbs de Provence. Add the Parmesan cheese and heavy cream, blend with the immersion blender and cook for a few more minutes.
Garnish with some creme fraiche and garlic croutons.
Croutons
(can also be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks, or you can freeze them for up to 6 months)
1 baguette, can be a few days old
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 Tbsp of olive oil
salt, pepper and a few pinches of garlic powder
Cut the bread into 1″ thick slices and then cube them. Toss together with butter, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Spread in one layer on a baking sheet and bake on 400 degrees for 15 minutes, mixing and tossing them once after ten minutes.
