Hearty soup is on the menu as we welcome the cold month of December. I absolutely love this Vegan Winter Root Soup! It’s full of flavor and fiber, making it perfect for a weekday meal.
This sweet and savory soup is incredibly easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
Let’s start with the roots, or base of this soup. Root vegetables are an ideal ingredient to work with during the colder months. They’re nutrient-dense and hearty giving our bodies the strength and stability to sustain the darker months of the year.
I always start my root soups with a few of my favorite roots. This is completely adaptable to your own taste buds.
- Celeriac, (aka celery root) is the first star in this one pot wonder. Celeriac is a natural source of fiber which is known to help regulate blood sugar. It also provides a whopping eighty percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin K and sports a relatively high amount of calcium. Read more about the benefits of celeriac root here.
- Isn’t that interesting? Just as the darkness grows longer and our access to vitamin D via sunlight wanes, we have this incredible food source for building bones.
- Parsnips are an underutilized root vegetable and are often passed by when walking down the produce aisle. They aren’t particularly beautiful with their dingy, white skin but don’t let that fool you! Parsnips are an incredible addition to our diet during the darker months of the year. They provide an impressive amount of vitamin C which is particularly helpful for those of us looking to increase our vitamin C intake. Vitamin C is well-known to benefit the immune system and boost glowing skin.
- Parsnips also provide fiber which is a shining star when it comes to staying satiated and balanced.
- Carrots are nature’s way of saying, you need a little sweetness in your life. I typically add a few carrots to many of my soups. They help strike just the right balance between sweet and savory and provide eye-loving vitamin A.
Other ingredients:
- One yellow onion
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- One large leek for added sweetness
- Fresh ginger for an added spicy kick
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth
I start by chopping all of the roots and onion into a uniform size then toss them with a little olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
I spread these lovely vegetables out on a parchment-lined baking pan. Roast them at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until fork tender.
While the roots are roasting, I sauté my leeks in a little olive oil. When my roots are ready, I add them to the pot with about 4 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. This isn’t absolutely necessary but does help the flavors all meld together nicely.
Blending is optional but offers a creamy soup that is so delicious and satisfying. It’s easy to do with an immersion blender or high-speed blender like a Vitamix.
