Winter Root Soup w/ Grilled White Cheddar and Scallion Sandwiches

So it’s March and there’s still some snow around. And I’m over it. That being said, it’s the perfect time to make a big, hot yummy pot of soup! This is another one of those recipes that you really can’t mess up. You can basically blend in whatever veggies you want! For my hearty soup I used all the roots I could find at the market- including an acorn squash I felt the intense desire to buy, mainly because it looks like a giant green acorn. I recommend using butternut squash however- much easier to peel!

Ingredients:

• roots
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 3-4 medium sized parsnips
  • a bunch of carrots
• 1 squash
• 3-4 cups of chicken stock
• heavy cream
• leeks
• garlic
• spices- salt, pepper, paprika
• parsley (optional)
• bread
• white cheddar cheese
• scallions

Directions:

Peel and chop up your roots and squash. Rinse and chop your leeks. Pour in some olive oil into a large pot, heat it up. Dump in all your veggies- roots, squash, garlic cloves, leeks- all of it! Add seasoning. At medium heat, toss all the veggies so they get a nice coating of olive oil and cook it down with ~1/2 chicken stock and the lid on, for about 30 minutes or until tender and mushy. Once cooked down, let it cool down a bit. Add ~3 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of cream. Then use a hand mixer or emulsifier (if you don’t have one, get one!) and blend everything together until smooth. If you want it less thick, add more stock. More rich? Add more cream. Season to taste and top with parsley.

For the grilled cheeses, slice or grate fresh white cheddar and chop finely some green onion. Top your bread with the goods. Feel free to add some cracked pepper to the inside of your sandwich too. Heat and butter a pan to toast your sandwich until cheese is melted. Perfection!

Chelsea is a San Francisco-based journalist whose passion revolves around exploring the world, immersing herself in foreign cultures, and of course, eating and drinking everything delicious.

Her work can be found in TravelPulse, Forbes, INSIDER, SF Gate and more. She covers all things food, drink and travel and is always up for an adventure, whether that means an adrenaline-pumping excursion or trying a new cuisine.