Ingredients

• 1 bunch of carrots; cleaned, peeled, and cut into 3 inch long by half an inch wide strips
• 1 lb. parsnips; cleaned, peeled, and cut into 3 inch long by half an inch wide strips
• 1 green stem of green garlic; roughly chopped (or use 1 leek, thoroughly cleaned)
• Sea salt and fresh black pepper; to taste
• Crushed red pepper; to taste
• A dash of freshly grated nutmeg or 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• A generous drizzle of Olive oil
• 1 tsp. red balsamic vinegar
• 2 to 3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock/broth
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of organic cream or unsweetened, plain soy/nut milk (amount depends on personal taste)
• Garnish: Garlic/Onion Chives, finely snipped and crushed Pink Peppercorns or fresh black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Toss carrots, parsnips, green garlic, sea salt, fresh black pepper, crushed red pepper, and olive oil over a foil or parchment lined baking sheet.
• Roast for about 30 minutes, until the carrots are soft. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Place all ingredients and balsamic vinegar in the bowl of a food processor to puree until smooth. Meanwhile, as the motor is running, gradually add broth/stock to smooth out the puree. The mixture will be slightly chunky, but puree smooth as much as you can.
• Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Working in batches, place puree in the strainer. Using a metal spoon, press puree against the strainer’s mesh to extract the soup. (This is a tedious process, but worth the effort. If you don’t want to strain the soup, skip this step. Add more stock in step 4 for a smoother texture).
• Return puree soup to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add cream/soy/nut milk. Return soup to a simmer, but don’t boil.
• Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with chives and pink or black pepper.

Enjoy with your favorite warm slice of wheat or whole-grain bread.