Gingered root vegetable soup
Instructions:
- Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and apple, 4 cups of the stock, and the salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Puree in a blender (working in batches to not fill the blender more than half full) and return it to the pot or puree the soup directly in the pot with an immersion blender. Stir in the half-and-half, maple syrup, and thyme. The soup should be very thick, but if it’s more like a puree than a soup, add more stock.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm, garnished with creme fraiche and chips.
- What else works? You can use cubes of winter squash or sugar pumpkin in place of some or all of the sweet potatoes.
- Make-ahead note: You can make the soup up to 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Check the seasoning when you gently reheat the soup.