Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

This recipe is taken from a book simple titled Vegetarian which I bought off the Bargain Books shelf at Borders for $3.99 several years ago.  It was an incredible investment, as I've not made a recipe from it that I haven't loved.  This is one of my all time favorite soup recipes and that's saying a lot, because soup is one of my favorite foods.  This is satisfying and filling all on it's own, no need to cook anything else to go with it.  It's perfect for this time of year, everything is in season.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 carrots, cut into thick rounds
1 large parsnip, cubed
1 small, yellow turnip, cubed
2 leeks, thickly sliced
1 onion, quartered
3 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
3 rosemary sprigs
5 cups vegetable stock (I always find that I need more than this.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Put the olive oil into a large bowl.  Add the prepared vegetables and toss until coated in the oil.

2.  Spread out the vegetables in a single layer on one large or two small baking sheets.  Tuck the bay leaves and thyme and rosemary sprigs among the vegetables.

3.  Roast for 50 minutes until tender, turning the vegetables occasionally to make sure they brown evenly all over.  Remove from the oven, discard the herbs and transfer to a large saucepan.

4.  Pour the stock into the pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, season to taste, then simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender (or use a hand blender) and process for a few minutes until thick and smooth.

5.  Return soup to the pan to heat through.  Season and serve.

The recipe also suggests serving with a swirl of sour cream, but I never do.  Why add extra calories to an already great tasting meal?

The book also offers this note:
This nutritious soup is paced with health-giving vegetables.  Butternut squash is particularly high in beta carotene and potassium, which is essential for the functioning of the cells, nerves, and muscles.  Carrots also contain a high level of beta carotene and are effective detoxifiers.