winter soup

[mandimoo]

i have butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatos & onions. would you put them all in one soup? or make 2 or 3 soups? and what mix of herbs and spices have you tested for these types of veggies?

[elcee45]

1 tablesp olive oil
1 med onion sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
sweet potato (11oz)
butternut squash (9oz)
1 litre veg stock
2 teasp fresh coriander.
Heat oil, add onion and garlic until soft, add ground cumin and cook further minute
add sweet potato and squash cook 2 mins
add seasoning and stock, simmer 20 mins
blend stir in coriander, dilute with water if needed
Enjoy

[elcee45]

Carrot and Coriander Soup
2 oz butter
2 onions sliced
1 lb carrots diced
1 oz dried lentils
2 pints chicken stock
1 tablespoon ground coriander
S&P
Melt butter, fry veg and lentils 2-3 mins
add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer 40 mins.
Liquidise
add 4tbspoons cream if wanted.

[Clanad]

Somewhat akin to elcee's recipe, here's another using your ingredients with the exception of the sweet potatos:

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 small or one large butternut squash, peeled and chopped
5 cups vegetable broth (we prefer chicken broth)
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage (If you have to use dried, increase to 4 tablespoons)
1/2 cup soy milk
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
In a large soup pot, sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil until onions turn soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 3 to 5 miutes.

Add the squash and stir just to coat, then add the vegetable broth and sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Allow to cook for at least 25 minutes, or until squash is soft.

Using a potato masher or a large fork, mash the squash until smooth, or, alternatively, you can puree the soup in a food processor or blender.

Stir in the soy milk and season with salt and pepper to taste...

I would, then, bake the sweet potatos with the skins on at about 350 degrees F (sorry, we're in the U.S.) for 45 minutes or until the skins start to turn brown. Split in half and drizzle with butter and a little real maple syrup...

[ethandron]

clanad, does that make your sweet potatoes into a dessert rather than a savoury dish? it does sound rather nice whichever.

[zuzazak]

stick them all in one soup! just blend the roasted veg with some veg stock, salt pepper and some spices, such as: cumin or paprika or cayenne pepper or thyme. anything really, it will be lovely!

[sunflower68]

mandimoo if you are in hurry and love soup like me here's what I do. I just peel carrots and slice into 3 chunks; I do the same with any veg I have (nothing gets turned down in my soup). If you're blending anyway, why waste time chopping and dicing.
To be healthy just add water, stock and seasoning, cook and blend, otherwise you can cook the chunks off in some oil for a bit.

[woozer]

I would go with Elcee but I like to add a chilli - red loks nicest take out the seeds and membranes - lovely and warming - especially in weather like this

[Clanad]

You're excatly right ethandron... here in the U.S. sweet potatoes or yams are more often used for sweet dishes...