Serves:
About the Recipe
You will love this creamy soup, it's surprisingly healthy, dairy-free, and requires few ingredients, making it ideal as a comforting dinner or elegant starter. Utilize any vegetables on hand, and customize it as vegan or vegetarian with vegetable stock. Inspired by my husband's version where he sautéed asparagus in butter, served with a dollop of yogurt and a dash of cayenne pepper—simple, elegant, and delicious.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or butter
3 shallots or 4 scallions, thinly sliced
4 cups of any one vegetable or combination of choice, chopped small (see below)
4 cups water, chicken or vegetable stock
½ tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper or 1tsp. PGS (Pastagirl Seasoning)
Garnish options: yogurt, sour cream, cayenne pepper or fried shallots
Preparation
In a heavy bottomed medium size pot, sauté the shallots or scallions over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the chopped vegetables, salt and black pepper (plus other seasonings of choice) and sauté until softened, stirring often (about 5 minutes). Add the water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat then cover and simmer until the vegetable are tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat. With a hand-held immersion blender or in batches in a food processor, purée the soup until smooth. Return to heat, bring soup to a simmer and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Ladle into bowls and serve, garnished with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper, or fried shallots. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Recommended vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, celery, fennel, leeks, potato, butternut squash, fresh or frozen spinach, sweet potato, turnips.
Fast option: Pumpkin purée or frozen veggies.
*Add any other seasoning to taste; curry powder, turmeric, cumin, or mustard seeds at the time you add salt and pepper.