At some point last week, I was rummaging around in my fridge for something and I realized that there were a LOT of odds and ends in there … a few sticks of celery, a bruised apple, a scant bundle of Swiss chard, a couple of parsnips, some chunks of Hamburg parsley, two small leeks, and a huge bag of carrots.
Of course, I right away got to thinking about soup … specifically, carrot soup with a few extra “trimmings.” Here is what I put together:
(Mostly Carrot) Harvest Soup
Wash, peel and coarsely chop all of the following ingredients, and place into a large saucepan:
1 large onion
2 small leeks, white parts only (put the green parts aside and use them in another recipe)
2 apples
3 celery stalks with leaves
Handful of Swiss chard (leaves only, not the stems)
2 small Hamburg parsley roots (not the leaves)
2 small parsnips
6 large carrots
1 tablespoon fresh gingerroot
Add:
8 cups water
Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly before pureeing the mixture with an immersion blender. You may want to add more water at this point for a thinner consistency. Place the pan back on the heat and warm, then pour into bowls and garnish with dried thyme.
Serve with biscuits, fresh-baked buns, or savory scones.
(In case you’re wondering, the reason why the soup isn’t the orange color you would expect is because I used the ‘Purple Haze’ carrots I grew this year.)
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