This soup is a fabulous way to use up left over roast vegetables – or you can make it from scratch.
Leftovers – an often overlooked part of a meal.
They can be quite underrated in terms of what they can make.
For those of us from large families, it was definitely a case of “waste not, want not” and in today’s tough times, a saying that has certainly come back into vogue.
This week, I’m looking at what can be made using leftover roast veggies; food rich in taste and flavour, especially if it was cooked in the main roasting pan.
Because I do this – and because I use such herbs as garlic, lemon pepper, tarragon and a rosemary mix, the vegetables have a beautiful taste that is highlighted in any future dish.
This makes a perfect setting for soup, and often I’ll use a little more veggies than I need in the Sunday roast just for this purpose, because it’s great to use as a lunch in a Thermos for school or work, or just a bit of that great comfort food for morning tea or lunch at home on these colder nights as winter approaches. It can also be easily frozen in sandwich bags for future use.
If you want to make it from scratch rather than use leftovers, you can do this by roasting your chosen veggies at 175C on baking paper after tossing them in oil to which you have added your favourite herbs. Cook for around 45 minutes depending on what veggies you are using.
Just follow the instructions below to finish. You can use milk instead of cream if you prefer.
It is best to use vegetables that have been peeled and that the predominant vegetable will be reflected in the final colour of the soup.
While cream doesn’t usually freeze well, I’ve found it does once cooked in soups.
Leftover roast veggie soup
Ingredients:
At least 750g of roasted veggies (potato, pumpkin, gold kumara, yam or anything you like)
500ml Campbell’s (or similar) chicken stock
200ml cream
One tbs oil
Method:
Mash the vegetables well. There will be some residue oil or fat from the meal before, but you’ll still need a little. Put this into a heavy-bottomed pan and add the mashed vegetables, stock and pepper.
Stir well and bring up to simmering. Add more stock if you need it. Add cream and combine.
Using an electric stick blender, blend the mix until smooth, adding more stock or cream until you have the consistency you desire.
Cook for a few minutes more at the just simmering stage, then serve with a dollop of sour cream, and a side of hot, crusty bread.
