Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Soup
Vegetable soup has always been one of my favorite soups. That said, I'm known to be very specific when it comes to making vegetable soup: for one, I firmly believe that it is of utmost importance that the vegetables be roasted - almost the point of being charred. Those dark edges are where I believe the true flavor develops, in my opinion this is how you get edge in flavor that you will never get from a pressure cooker or broiled vegetables. You want the vegetables to be just cooked through and definitely not soft or mushy.I prefer using what I call a "Mediterranean selection" of vegetables, including red onions, zucchini, fresh paprika, butternut and cherry tomatoes - my roasting tray also includes whole garlic cloves, fresh rosemary and thyme. These Mediterranean vegetables turns into a rich and luxuriously thick soup that is bright and vibrant, both in color and flavor and will transport you to the Mediterranean. I often serve this soup with crostini but more often with rough, toasted chunks of sourdough or ciabatta, tossed in good olive oil. This soup is a freezer-favorite and I like to portion the soup out before freezing in resealable bags. A spacial note: There is simply no replacement for quality when it comes to maximizing flavor. Despite this being a soup, I urge you not to compromise on flavor and to use the very best quality of fresh vegetables, stock/ broth and olive oil when roasting - you will taste the difference in the depth of flavor and texture.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic whole
- 2 large red onions quartered
- 500 g butternut cut into cubes of roughly 3cm x 3cm
- 350 g zucchini cut into cubes or wheels
- 3 fresh paprika or 2 red peppers sliced
- 150 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary the leaves stripped from the stems
- 1 tsp fresh thyme the leaves stripped from the stems
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 5-6 cup vegetable broth/ stock
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup cream
- salt & pepper
- Thyme or spring onion and dehydrated onion crisps to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C with the grill on medium. On a baking sheet, arrange the onions, butternut, zuchinni, paprika (or red peppers) and tomatoes and coat evenly with olive oil. Sprinkle over the fresh herbs and toss together. At this stage, season only with pepper as salt will cause the vegetables to steam instead of roasting. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until dark and caramelized and the vegetables are just cooked through but not soft or mushy. Add the garlic cloves halfway through the cooking process to prevent them from burning. Toss the vegetables every few minutes, ensuring an even roast.
- Transfer the roasted vegetables along with any remaining cooking juices and oil to a large casserole. Add the white wine and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the stock/ broth and cook for 10 minutes more. Add the lemon juice and zest.
- Transfer the vegetables to a heat safe blender and process until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender. The consistency is really up to preference. You may even consider reserving a portion of the vegetables before processing and adding them back in afterwards for extra texture. I prefer a smoother texture but could never imagine going as far as straining it!
- Add the worcestershire sauce and taste. Season with salt, keeping in mind that stock/ broth are often salty enough. If it needs to be balanced, add the brown sugar now. Marble through the cream, garnish with dehydrated onion crisps, fresh thyme or spring onion and serve warm. If you'll be freezing the soup, allow to cool and portion into resealable bags. Freeze on the same day.
Notes
Styling, Recipe & Photography by: Stéan Kruger.
For more recipes, extraordinary food and cooking vlogs, find me on Instagram, YouTube and online.
Stéan Kruger Photography & The Photographer's Blog: https://linktr.ee/Stean_Kruger
