Foodie Friday: Country House Harvest Soup

Even though the kitchen garden, and our local CSA (a.k.a. Community Supported Agriculture) share is winding down, they’re both still gifts that keep on giving. The basketful and big wooden bowlful of hodge-podge veggies that are taking over the kitchen island just cry out “Soup”!

Good idea. 

Besides, what’s more perfect for a chilly autumn afternoon than sipping on hot comforting soup made from the best harvest of the day. We call this divine autumnal concoction, Country House Harvest Soup.The ingredients listed below happened to be what we had on hand this week. But come to think of it, I don’t think we’ve ever made this soup twice using exactly the same veggies! I think that’s the beauty of it.

Country House Harvest Soup

1 medium eggplant

2 medium onions

4 medium new potatoes

1 medium yellow squash

1 acorn squash

2 green peppers

2 quarts chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Put 1 ½ quarts chicken broth in large pot, set temperature on low.
• Wash and cut off ends of eggplant and yellow squash, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
• Peel onions, cut into ½-inch thick slices.
• Scrub potatoes, leave skin on, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
• Quarter acorn squash, scrape out seeds with a spoon.
• Quarter green peppers, clean out seeds.
• Cover two cookie sheets with aluminum foil, then lightly oil.
• Distribute vegetables evenly over both sheets, they may touch but try not to crowd them. Spray lightly with cooking oil on top, and liberally salt and pepper.
• After about 1 hour, check the two sheets. As veggies brown and caramelize, use tongs to pull them out and place into the chicken broth. Onions and peppers will cook quickly. Check the veggies every 20-30 minutes and repeat process with all but acorn squash.
• When the acorn squash is soft and a teaspoon easily slices through to the skin, remove and let cool. When cool enough to handle, scrape out squash with a teaspoon and add to the soup pot.
• Once all veggies are in the pot, simmer at medium/low for about 20 minutes.
• Ladle broth and veggies into a blender until blender is ½ full. Put top on tightly and blend until creamy. Placed blended soup in large bowl and repeat the process. Return blended soup to pot and adjust seasonings. If consistency is too thick, add more of the reserved chicken broth.

To read about creating the perfect autumn setting to serve this Country House Harvest Soup in: https://noramurphycountryhouse.com/magazine/autumn-2014/country-house-celebrates/#.VDhzyShhodc

Enjoy!

Love, Nora