Oh, Mindy!

Last Tuesday, I made Veggie Strata. When I tasted the broth it made, I had a suspicion that it would make a good soup. It does. With the added steps of a sautéed mirepoix and blending everything up in the food processor, you’ve got a simple delicious soup fit for any occasion.

Ingredients:

• Veggie Strata & Mirepoix
  • 2 large tomatoes or 4 roma
  • 3 onions
  • 2 medium/large potatoes
  • 2 large zucchini
  • salt, pepper, olive oil
  • 2 large carrots
  • 3 large stalks celery
  • 1/2 cup cream or 1 cup soymilk
  • olive oil, salt, pepper and whichever herbs you like (I used parsley, sage, rosemary and a touch of thyme, just to be funny and 2 bay leaves, because I love them.)

Step 1. Veggie Strata: Preheat oven to 450°, slice vegetables (except one onion, carrots and celery), layer in oven proof pot or deep pan with oil, salt and pepper, cook for one hour and remove from oven.

Step 2. While your sliced vegetables rest, or about 15 min before vegetables are finished in oven, warm oil in soup pot. (You could add a tablespoon of butter here.) Dice up carrots, onion and celery. Cut as small as you care to, the smaller the pieces the quicker they will cook and the mixture will be smoother. (You can save celery leaves for garnish and reserve in ice water.)

Step 3. Add to pot in order of density, stirring to coat with oil. Salt and pepper. Sautée with herbs and spices until onions are clear, or carrots are soft, depending on whether you would like a thicker or thinner texture. Add one cup water and stir.

Step 4. In batches, blend vegetables with some broth from soup pot in food processor or blender until all is blended. (Now, you need yet another bowl or pot to keep the blended separate from the whole. It’s just soup, though, so easy clean up.)

Step 5. Put it all back in the pot on the stove, add water (2 cups) to thin, salt and pepper to taste, bring to a boil, turn down temperature and simmer, add cream. (If you use milk, remember that it might burn. Cream and soymilk are more forgiving when it comes to high temperatures.)

Garnish with celery leaves and serve. Freezes well.