Well, maybe not quite *all* the roots, but lots of them. Molti rooty?

One of our fridge’s crisper drawers has been out of commission for way too long, which means our capacity to store the big roots that dominate winter CSA share boxes is inadequate. So with single-digit windchills predicted for the next few days, it seemed like a good time to throw together a space-clearing, soul-warming pot of earthy and sweet soup.

As the name implies, use what you’ve got. For me, this week, that was a forearm-sized parsnip, various colors of carrots, a yellow onion, a purple-topped turnip, a bunch of baby hakurei turnips with their greens, a small bunch of celery, and one golden beet that somehow got left behind when I roasted off a big batch last weekend. I reserved the kohlrabi for a batch of my spanakohlpita, but that would’ve been a fine addition, too, as would any winter radish, sweet potato, or regular potato. Tutti or molti, it’s up to you.

Roasted Root Soup

Veganize this adaptable soup by skipping the butter in favor of olive oil and subbing the final splash of cream with a plant-based milk—or omitting it altogether. Don’t want to bother roasting the veg? No problem. Just be sure to cook till the densest among them are fork tender—and know that you’ll likely end up with a soup with less Mellow and more Bite.

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped (or a combo of onion, leek, or shallot)
• 4 stalks celery, chopped (about a cup—and include some leaves if you have them)
• 4 cloves garlic, papery skins intact
• 4–5 sprigs thyme
• 2-½–3 pounds of mixed root vegetables, cut into even-sized pieces
• beet or turnip greens (optional)
• 6 cups water
• 1-½ tsp salt or more, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• heavy cream, almond/oat milk, or coconut milk (optional)
• croutons, cheese, toasted almonds or hazelnuts, fancy oil as you wish, for topping

If you’re going to roast some or all of the vegetables, preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the to-be-roasted vegetables with a good drizzle of olive oil. Spread them on a sheet pan, sprinkle lightly with salt, and roast until tender and just starting to brown (about a half hour).

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a stock pot, add the chopped onion and celery, and let them soften over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add any other veg that you haven’t roasted (my carrots were exceptionally sweet already, so I left them off the oven-bound pan), and cover the pot.

Pinch the garlic cloves out of their paper shells, then add them and the rest of the roasted vegetables to the pot along with a teaspoon of salt; simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until everything is good and softened. Turn off the heat, add the greens (if you’re using them), and let the soup cool for 10 minutes.

Purée the soup using an immersion blender—or in batches with a blender (just be sure to vent the steam)—then port everything back into the stock pot.

Reheat the soup, adjusting the consistency (add a little water if it’s too thick, let it burble for awhile if it’s too thin) and adjusting the seasoning to your taste. Just before serving, add a quarter-cup or so of heavy cream, if you like. Garnish each bowl with a swirl of olive oil, some grated Parm, croutons or toasted nuts, and lots of fresh-ground,black pepper.