This soup is delicious, versatile, inexpensive and easy! My friend Luz Shoemaker, who made the fabulous soups at The Cliff House in Manitou Springs for years, came over and showed me how to make this…thanks Luz! Roasting the vegetables gives the soup a rich flavor without a lot of calories and fat. What I learned from Luz is that you can add any vegetables you like or that’s in season and on sale, you can add more or less milk, cream and vegetable stock (depending on what you have on hand), and that instead of heavy cream, you can substitute low-fat Greek yogurt….it’s that versatile! As you experiment with this recipe, you’ll find the consistency you like….if it’s thinner than you prefer, add more cream or yogurt…if it’s thicker than you want, thin it out with milk or broth. And if you make your own vegetable stock, it makes this even less expensive. This is a perfect lunch or dinner meal and an easy way to use up any vegetables you have on hand. This makes enough for 6 to 8 servings…you can freeze half of it and have a great meal waiting in the freezer for those nights you don’t feel like cooking. Potatoes, corn, different squashes, broccoli and cauliflower are all vegetables you can easily add in place of the ones we used….have fun and experiment to make this “yours”.
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6 to 8 for approx $8.23
Ingredients:
- 1 onion
- 1 head garlic
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 lb tomatoes
- 1 lb zucchini
- 1 lb yellow squash
- 1/2 lb green beans
- 32 oz vegetable stock/broth -use GF broth for a gluten free meal
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop up the garlic and other vegetables and put on cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and stir. Add salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes. When the vegetables are done, put them in a large stock pot/dutch oven and add the vegetable stock. Heat for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Pour the milk and cream in a bowl and then add about a cup of heated broth to the bowl of milk and cream (temper)….this helps keep the milk from curdling when added to the pot of broth and vegetables. Add the milk, cream and cup of vegetable broth to the pot. Heat until warmed through and serve….easy and delicious!