Fall Roasted Vegetable Soup with Rosemary Croutons

A butternut squash arrived in my produce box from McIlrath Farms last week. It sat on the counter all week while I contemplated what to do with it. I, initially, thought I might do something sweet like a butternut squash loaf cake (similar to a pumpkin loaf) or even a sweet and savory warm salad with squash, apples and dried cranberries.

I’m sure any or all of those ideas would have been lovely and maybe in the coming weeks they will come to fruition. But in the end, the desire for a warm bowl of comforting soup won out.

I partnered with Healthy Eats Nutrition Services this month to host a cooking class. Healthy Eats offers a variety of services, but one is plant-based cooking classes. Owner Elaina Moon occasionally invites guests to host classes and I had the honor of teaching 25 community members a few of my favorite recipes.

One of which was a giant pot of comforting tasty vegetarian minestrone soup. And ever since then, I’ve had soup on my brain. I’ve had Ina Garten’s roasted vegetable soup recipe bookmarked for ages and decided the butternut squash waiting on my counter to be used was the perfect inspiration to make a riff on her classic recipe.

Although the weather hasn’t exactly been cozy soup weather, this particular recipe is exactly what we all need on the first truly cold night of fall. So while you might need to bookmark this one for a a few weeks, I can promise, once you try this easy and delicious recipe; you’ll be making it again and again all fall and winter long.

Two big baking sheets of veggies roast in a piping hot oven until golden brown, crispy and caramelized. I used butternut squash, a sweet potato, leeks, the last of my garden tomatoes, an onion and a small head of cauliflower. Once the veggies were deeply roasted and tender, I added them to my dutch oven with three cloves of garlic and chicken bone broth. I let it all simmer for 20 or so minutes, making sure to add another big pinch of Kosher salt and black pepper. I used an immersion blender to smooth out the soup and decided crunchy, salty rosemary scented croutons were the perfect garnish for this recipe.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that its endlessly adaptable. Think of this recipe more as a mood board than a road map. Swap vegetables for what you prefer or have on hand. Don’t sweat having exact quantities, the secret is simply to salt as you go and use the highest quality ingredients possible. I opted to use chicken bone broth for some richness and a little protein but vegetable broth and regular chicken broth work great too.

Roasted Vegetable with Rosemary Croutons

• 1 butternut squash

• 1 large sweet potato

• 1 Yukon gold potato

• 1 leek

• 1 yellow onion

• 4 roma tomatoes

• 1 small head cauliflower

• 3 carrots

• 3 cloves garlic

• 64 ounces chicken bone broth

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Plain Greek Yogurt

• Salted and toasted pumpkin seeds

• Rosemary Croutons

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Start by halving the butternut squash and scooping out the seeds. Drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes or until the skin is crispy brown in places and pulling away from the squash. Remove from oven, place squash on a plate or tray and allow to cool.

While the squash roasts, wash and peel the sweet potato, carrots and yellow onion. Wash the leek (which can be very sandy) along with the tomatoes and cauliflower. Cut all the vegetables into about 2-inch pieces so they are all roughly about the same size.

Transfer the washed and cut veggies to a large bowl and toss liberally in olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the veggies on baking sheets and roast in the 425 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are golden brown and tender when speared with a fork.

When the vegetables are roasted, combine everything in a large dutch oven. Scoop the butternut squash out of the skin and add it to the pot along with the roasted vegetables, garlic and chicken bone broth. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes and then use an immersion blender to smooth out the soup. You can also use a blender or food processor for a super silky smooth sauce, depending on preference.

While the soup simmers, make the rosemary croutons. When the soup is blended and smooth, scoop into bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds, a small scoop of plain greek yogurt and croutons.

Rosemary Croutons

• 3 slices day-old sourdough bread, cut into cubes

• 1 stalk rosemary

• 2 tablespoons salted butter

• Kosher salt and pepper

Slice the bread into 1-inch cubes. In a saute pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the piece of rosemary to the butter and add the cubed bread to the pan. Sear the bread on all sides until crisp and brown. Sprinkle with kosher salt and remove from the heat. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and use immediately to garnish the soup.