Description
This Tasty Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup is a hearty, creamy chowder packed with autumn and winter vegetables like butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and fennel. Roasting the vegetables enhances their natural sweetness and adds a depth of flavor, while the pureed base creates a velvety texture. Perfect as a comforting meal on cold days, this soup is easy to make and can be customized with your choice of milk for creamy richness.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Vegetables
- Half of a small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, diced into 1-inch pieces (roughly 2 cups)
- 3 medium parsnips, peeled, diced into 1-inch pieces (approximately 1 cup)
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, diced into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, diced into 1-inch pieces (approximately 1 cup)
- Half of a fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced (around 1 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Soup Base
- 1 medium onion, diced (close to 2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons regular flour
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme
Finishing
- 1 cup milk (2%, nonfat, whole, or unsweetened plain almond milk)
- Extra salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Additional cracked black pepper and fresh thyme leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Roast the Vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well to coat evenly. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, turning a couple of times, until vegetables are tender and browned in spots.
- Prepare the Soup Base: While vegetables roast, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add diced onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
- Add Broth and Potatoes: Gradually add the vegetable stock to the saucepan, stirring to combine. Add the chopped russet potatoes and fresh thyme sprigs. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Remove from heat, discard thyme sprigs.
- Combine and Puree the Soup: Stir the roasted vegetables into the soup base. Carefully transfer about 3 cups of soup into a blender and blend until smooth, creating a creamy texture. Return the pureed soup to the pot and mix well for a thick and rich chowder consistency.
- Finish and Adjust Seasoning: Stir in the milk. Place the pot back on medium-low heat and gently bring the soup to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the soup warm, garnished with cracked black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Optionally, add some reserved roasted vegetables on top for extra texture and color. Enjoy your comforting and delicious creamy winter vegetable chowder!
Notes
- You can substitute almond milk or any plant-based milk to keep it dairy-free.
- For a thicker soup, simmer longer after pureeing or add more potatoes.
- Fresh thyme leaves can be added during cooking for a stronger herb flavor, but remove stems before blending.
- To make this soup vegan, ensure vegetable stock is vegan-friendly and use plant-based milk.
- Roasting the vegetables caramelizes their sugars and adds depth to the soup’s flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Roasting and simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 240 ml)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
Keywords: winter vegetable soup, roasted vegetable soup, creamy chowder, butternut squash soup, hearty soup, vegetarian soup, cozy fall soup
