8 cups vegetables cut into 1 inch chunks (use a selection of carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, red bell peppers, celery, turnips, and/or yellow potatoes, including at least 2 root vegetables: peel if needed)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 to 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (optional)
Snipped fresh chives (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Spread the vegetables, onion, and garlic in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet (if thy don't fit in a single layer on one sheet, use two). Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. (You do not need to stir the vegetables.) If using two baking sheets, rotate their oven positions after about 15 minutes. Cool the vegetables slightly.
Working in batches,purée the roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor, adding the parsley to the first batch. Blend or process until smooth (see page 72); if needed, you can add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to each batch to help the mixture purée more easily (I find this is especially necessary when using a blender).
Transfer the puréed vegetables to a 4-quart pot. Stir in the remaining chicken broth; heat the soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Taste the soup; if it seems sweeter than you like it, add a little white wine vinegar.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with snipped fresh chives, if you like.
Makes 8 hearty first-course or side-dish servings,or 4 to 6 main-dish servings.
