Roasted Vegetable Soup with Sourdough Croutons

Rich and creamy roasted vegetable soup with butternut squash, tomatoes, carrots, and aromatic herbs, served with golden sourdough croutons—perfect for a cozy lunch or dinner.

Recipe Information

Total Time:

Yield:

8 servings

Ingredients

Soup

1 garlic bulb

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 medium tomatoes on the vine

3 cups 1-inch cubes peeled butternut squash

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large Vidalia onion or other sweet onion, peeled and quartered

1 jalapeño pepper, halved and seeded*

1½ teaspoons salt, divided

1½ teaspoons cracked black pepper, divided; plus additional for garnish

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (32-ounce) container vegetable broth

3 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano, plus additional for garnish

½ cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for garnish

Chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

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Sourdough croutons

½ loaf Sourdough Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

For soup, preheat oven to 400°F. Cut ½ inch off top of garlic bulb to expose the cloves; discard top. In a large rimmed baking pan, place garlic bulb, cut end up; drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive. Add tomatoes on the vine, butternut squash, carrots, onion and jalapeño in a single layer. Drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and cumin. Toss lightly to coat.
Roast vegetables for 30 to 40 minutes or until carrots are tender and garlic is soft, rotating baking pan halfway through.
Remove tomatoes from vine and place in a large stockpot. Squeeze cloves from roasted garlic bulb into the stockpot. Add remaining roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, celery, cheese rind, 1 tablespoon oregano and remaining 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until celery is tender.
Remove cheese rind. Add ½ cup basil and heavy cream. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.
Meanwhile, for croutons, in a large bowl, place bread cubes. Drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat. Transfer to a clean large rimmed baking pan; spread in a single layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned, tossing halfway through.
To serve, ladle soup into serving bowls. Top with grated cheese, parsley and additional black pepper and oregano, if desired. Serve with croutons.

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*Note: Chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes. When working with jalapeño peppers, wear protective gloves.