Ease of Preparation: Easy
Time of Preparation: 1.25 hours
Yield: 4-6 servings
A hearty vegetable soup is a welcome part of any lunch or dinner. This hearty soup can accommodate any vegetable in your kitchen, so feel free to experiment! Just don’t forget the eggs and orzo to turn this soup into a meal!
Ingredients:
Broth:
- ½ large butternut squash
- 1 yellow onion, whole
- 2 parsnips
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- Olive oil, to drizzle
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) peppercorns
- 4 parsley sprigs
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 sage stems
- 1 lemon, peel
- Salt, white pepper, and nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cornstarch
Croutons:
- Baguette, torn into 1-inch (2.5 cm) rough pieces
- Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Salt and pepper
Soup:
- Broth
- 4 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 lemon, juice (about 4 tablespoons/60 ml)
- 2 cups (470 ml) cooked orzo (freshly cooked, warm)
- 2 cups (470 ml) trimmed, separated shimeji mushrooms
- Olive oil and butter, to sear mushrooms
- Salt and pepper
Garnish:
- Fresh tarragon leaves
- Olive oil
- Fresh cracked pepper
- Croutons
Method:
For the Broth:
Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C).
Without peeling or removing ends (rinsing is ok, if needed), roughly chop the squash, onion, parsnip, celery, and garlic.
Toss together with a light drizzle of olive oil and spread onto a sheet pan.
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until just browning at the tips.
Scrape the roasted veggies into a stock pot and cover with water (about 10 cups/2 L), then add the bay, peppercorn, parsley, thyme, sage stems, and lemon peel.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes until veggies are just soft.
Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a fresh pot.
Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
Return to the heat and bring back to a simmer. You should yield about 6 cups (1.5 L), if not, top up with more water or cook down to reduce, adjusting seasonings as needed.
Before making the Soup, mix cornstarch with equal parts cold water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the simmering broth and continue whisking for 30 seconds to 1 minute until lightly thickened.
For the Croutons:
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
Toss the baguette pieces with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in an even layer.
Bake for 8 minutes until just starting to toast.
Keep warm and dry until ready to serve.
For the Soup:
Heat butter and olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Pan sear the shimeji mushrooms for 1-2 minutes, until just starting to lose their water. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm for plating.
When the broth is ready, whisk together the eggs and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl, mixing until frothy.
Temper the egg mixture with the hot broth by whisking in a few spoonfuls at a time, then a ladle or so, until the egg mixture has been warmed through and heated without scrambling.
Working quickly, whisk the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot broth. If executed correctly, the soup should come together with creamy yellow colour and smooth, silky texture.
Immediately ladle the finished soup into bowls, garnishing each bowl with orzo pasta, pan-seared shimeji mushrooms, a sprinkling of fresh tarragon, croutons, olive oil, and fresh cracked black pepper.
Serve immediately.