Mary Ann Esposito’s Chunky Roasted Vegetable Soup
Mom made her version of a “kitchen sink soup” with vegetables she cleaned out of the refrigerator that had gone limp. And while her soups were always delicious, I introduced her to a new way of getting more flavor by roasting the veggies first. The natural sugars will caramelize as they cook and provide a greater depth of flavor. It’s a nice feeling when you can teach your mom something new.
Chunky Roasted Vegetable Soup
Zuppa di Verdure Arrostite
(Makes 8 servings)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large leek, white part only, well washed and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoons celery seed
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 small red skin potatoes cut into chunks
- 3 large peeled carrots or parsnips cut into chunks
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 4 ribs celery, cut into chunks
- 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 cups tomato juice
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Crusty bread
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large soup pot (4 quart); add garlic and leeks and cook over medium high heat until leeks are very soft. Turn off heat.
- Combine salt, pepper, celery seed, and oregano in large bowl. Add potatoes, carrots, broccoli, celery, and onion and toss veggies well in mixture. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to veggies and coat well.
- Transfer veggies to baking sheet in single layer. Roast veggies for about 30 minutes, turning them once or twice.
- Add roasted vegetables to soup pot with tomato juice and wine. Tie parsley and thyme together with kitchen string and add to pot.
- Bring mixture to boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Remove and discard parsley and thyme.
- Stir in lemon juice. Correct seasoning, adding more salt if desired. Serve piping hot with crusty bread and salad.
Reprinted from Ciao Italia Family Classics: More than 200 Treasured Recipes from Three Generations of Italian Cooks by Mary Ann Esposito. Published by St. Martin’s Press. Copyright © Mary Ann Esposito. Photograph by John Hession. See more recipes from Mary Ann Esposito in the March/April 2014 issue.