Roasted Carrot and Asparagus Soup

Pureed soup is probably one of my favorite things to make. You don’t have to spend a lot of time preparing the vegetables, and since (in some cases at least) the veggies are roasted already, time spent once in the pot is minimal!

I’m using carrots and asparagus in this week’s recipe, and roasting them in the oven for about 30 minutes prior to draw out the flavors before tossing them in a pot with vegetable broth and more shallots and garlic than I know what to do with! Again, since you’re going to blending it, the size of the vegetables while roasting isn’t all that important, cutting down the prep time by half!

Once they’re in the oven I’m going to begin prepping the shallots and the garlic. I’m actually going to use a more shallots than suggested in the recipe because I have so much left over, but I’m excited to see if the flavor is going to pull through and cause the soup to be much more dynamic.

The great part is that in the pot you can let it sit for realistically however you’d like, especially if you’re planning on blending it; the softer the vegetables, the better. I use this time to work on other aspects of the dinner I’m preparing, but how you spend your time is obviously up to you!

 When you’re ready to blend, either bust out your hand blender or divide and conquer with a food processor. You have complete control over the thickness of the soup, so if you prefer thicker soup, try leaving out a can of the veggie broth until you’ve begin the blending process. On the other hand, if you like your soup to be smooth, keep an extra can around to thin out while blending.

Top with cheese, sour cream, or nothing at all, it’s delicious going down and more filling than you would expect!

1 bunch asparagus

1 pound carrots, cut into large slices

1 head of garlic, chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

4 tablespoons walnuts, chopped finely

2-3 cans vegetable broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground thyme

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon ground sage

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon cayenne (optional)

½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Toss carrots, asparagus, and 1/3 of the garlic, with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once.

In a large pot, sauté shallots and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until fragrant.

Add carrots, asparagus, and vegetable broth and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Add spices and walnuts, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Blend using an immersion blender, or divide and puree in a food processor.

Return to pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes.