Golden Potage

by Brenda Langton, Tastemaker in Residence - from her Spoonriver Cookbook

This assortment of sweet root vegetables produces a very rustic, comforting soup. No single vegetable dominates, resulting in a delicate flavor. We like to make this in the fall and early winter, when root vegetables are freshest and at their sweetest. / / Serves 6

photo by TasteofHome

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped leek or sweet onion

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 to 1 1/2 cups diced sweet potato or winter squash 

1/2 cup chopped parsnip or rutabaga

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1 1⁄2 cups diced potato

4 cups vegetable stock

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 cup half-and-half, milk, or grain milk

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme or marjoram, or 1 teaspoon dried

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a soup pot and sauté the leek and garlic for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, and sauté for 10 more minutes.

2. Add the stock and salt to the sautéed vegetables. Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly and then puree it, working in small batches to avoid an explosion of hot liquid.

3. Return the soup to a pot and add the cream and herbs. Taste, adjust the seasoning as needed, and either serve the soup immediately or simmer it gently until serving time, being careful not to let the soup boil.