The Gutsy Girl: Roasted Veggie Soup

Last week I made a soup with kale. Kale-wah?! I am a kale novice, and a bit frightened of it. First off, kale is one hardcore and tough green...it's almost....leathery. I just can't really imagine sauteing the stuff and it would surely beat chard or spinach in hand-to-hand combat any day. This soup also has butternut squash, which is a major milestone for me because years ago I made the following decree: "The most disgusting foods in the world are winter squashes, olives, and cottage cheese!" Now it looks like only two of those will be become permanent fixtures on the list.

I shamelessly stole this recipe from Simply Recipes - one of my food blog favorites. I've never had a knack at following recipes to their exact specifications, and I threw in some portabellos, which I know think are quite necessary in the dish: they add a certain earthy heartiness to the soup. I'm also a lifelong fan of all things mushroom. (And has anyone else noticed that the fancy shiitakes and creminis in the bulk bins are often just as cheap as the pre-wrapped button mushrooms?!) I also added some peppers to the roasting pan because I had them (a soup is the perfect excuse to clean out your produce bin, am I right?).

We ate this soup for two days straight and each night Matt brought home a fresh loaf of bread to accompany the meal. We're heathens!

Roasted Veggie Soup

3 medium carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise (I used 5.)
2 large tomatoes, quartered (I used a can of peeled whole tomatoes.)
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges or 4 or 5 slices
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick wedges (I used a whole squash, small in size.)
6 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups or more of vegetable broth
4 cups of finely chopped kale (Used one bunch.)
3 large fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf (Used a few.)
1 15 oz can of Great Northern white beans, drained
I added a couple of large portobella mushroom caps, sliced, and a large handful of baby bell peppers.

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush rimmed baking sheet with a thin coat of olive oil. Arrange carrots, squash, tomatoes, onion, and garlic (and any other veggies you're using) on sheet. Drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast vegetables until they are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

2 Cut squash and carrots into 1/2 inch pieces; set aside. (I simply scooped the insides of the squash out and added to the soup as spoonfuls.) Place garlic cloves in food processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto the baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf(s) to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes.

3 Add carrots, beans, and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.