It’s that time of year, when I find root vegetables are on my mind. When it’s cold outside, there is nothing more comforting than a steamy sweet potato or a buttery and sweet butternut squash. Turnips, parsnips, and rutabaga have complex flavors that are interesting and particularly fresh when they come into season.
Root flavors can range from bitter to sweet and pungent to hot. These vegetables grow underground with leaves that grow above the top soil for photosynthesis. They absorb minerals from the earth and generate phytonutrients from the sun to create rich, grounding, nutritious and flavorful vegetables.
There are myriad ways to prepare root vegetables. You can bake them, steam and mash or boil them, make a pie, roast them or eat them raw in a salad. Most root vegetables are high in complex carbohydrates, which break down into sugars to provide our bodies with physical and mental energy. Being high in fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron, they are natural antioxidants, which are good for the eyes, heart and immune system.
This soup is my new creation for the winter. Not only does it include delicious and nutritious root vegetables, but also healthy fat from coconut milk and oil. Make it on a cold day and enjoy the comfort!
Ingredients:
2 purple potatoes
2 red potatoes
1 sweet potato
1 red or yellow beet
2 carrots
1 turnip
2-3 shallots
1 onion
1 stalk of celery
1 rutabaga
1 parsnip
Several cloves Garlic
¼ to ½ cup Olive oil
Sea salt to taste
2 sprigs rosemary
White pepper to taste
Herbamare to taste (optional)
2 tomatoes or 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1/8 to 1/4 cup wakame flakes
1 tbsp herbs de provence or thyme
Bay leaf
Wash and roughly chop all veggies into large, bite-sized pieces. Put all vegetables in casserole or large cast iron pan. Drizzle olive oil over top and toss veggies around to coat with oil. Season with salt, pepper and herbamare and place rosemary sprigs over the top. Place covered, in a preheated 400 F oven for 30 min. Take out of oven and gently mix veggies around. Turn heat up to 475 F and put back in oven, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes. Vegetables are ready when potatoes are soft on inside and slightly crispy on the outside.
Put vegetables in a soup pot and add filtered water to cover. Puree tomatoes (or crush with your hands) and add to pot. Put wakame, bay leaf and herbs of choice in the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer and cook for 30 min. Adjust seasonings by adding more salt and or pepper and serve.