White Winter Vegetable Soup with Blue Cheese Croutons

White Winter Vegetable Soup with Blue Cheese Croutons is a delicious way to slurp your vegetables. It makes a great first course or delicious and healthy lunch.

The story behind White Winter Vegetable Soup with Blue Cheese Croutons

Whatever happened to soup as a first course? I remember when it was quite common before a family dinner, at a dinner party, or in a restaurant to have soup before your main course. Now the soups served in a restaurant are a meal in themselves and salads have trumped soup as the first course when giving a dinner party. This, to me, is a shame. Not only is a hot bowl of soup a lovely first course, but it also helps fill you up, making you so much less likely to overeat!

White Winter Vegetable Soup with Blue Cheese Croutons is a lovely tasty winter vegetable soup and is a great way to add vegetables to your dinner. It makes a perfect first course with its smooth texture and appealing combination of flavors. It's simple to make, and can easily be made in advance. As always, feel free to add your own personal preferences. if you don't like blue cheese, then substitute some freshly grated parmesan. Feta or goat cheese would work as well.

While the ingredients, parsnips, turnips, cauliflower, all sound like this soup would be stinky, or overly aggressive in flavor, it's not at all. It's very mild. It is one of my son's favorite soups since he was 8.

I served this last weekend to some friends visiting from Texas, and while they admitted they were not normally soup eaters, didn't really ever eat turnips, parsnips or cauliflower, but they loved loved loved this soup.

Easy to make, adult and kid-friendly … I call that a win-win!

This soup also makes a great lunch or dinner…just serve more!

LindySez party tip: Make the soup (without the cream) up to 3 days before the party. Make the croutons and spread as well. Keep the soup covered in the refrigerator, heat gently, and add the cream at the last minute. Keep the croutons in a zip-top bag. Keep the spread, covered, in the refrigerator. Take the spread out at least ½ hour before serving, to allow it to warm up so it doesn't break the croutons when you spread it.

Serve this soup as a first course for:

German Style Beef Short Ribs

Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary Risotto

White Winter Vegetable Soup with Blue Cheese Croutons

LindySez

White Winter Vegetable Soup with Blue Cheese Croutons is a delicious way to slurp your vegetables. It makes a great first course or delicious and healthy lunch.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Side Dish, Soups, Stews & Chili

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 334 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 white onion diced
• 2 small leeks white part only, cleaned well and sliced
• 2 small tender parsnips peeled and cut up, (if the inside is too woody, cut it out, use only the tender parts)
• 1 turnip peeled and cut up
• 1 large russet potato peeled and cut up
• 2 cups sliced cauliflower
• 1 cup white wine or white vermouth
• 6 cups vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• For the croutons
• 1 baguette cut on the bias ¼ inch thick
• 3 ounces blue cheese at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and leek, cover and sweat for about 10 minutes. 
• Add the parsnips, turnip, potato, and cauliflower. Cook uncovered stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
• Increase the heat and add the wine, cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Lower the heat to medium; add the stock and water and bring to a simmer; cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. 
• Let the soup sit for 10 minutes or so to cool. 
• Puree the soup in the blender, in batches, (take care when blending hot soups); or using an immersion blender. Return to the pot (if using the blender); add the cream and reheat gently. Ladle into warmed bowls and top with a crouton or two.
• To make the Croutons: Heat the oven to 375 °F. Brush the bread slices with a little olive oil, put on a baking sheet, and bake until brown, turning once about 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, combine the blue cheese with the butter.

  Spread the blue cheese mixture on the croutons and serve on top of the soup.

Notes

LindySez party tip: Make the soup (without the cream) up to 3 days before the party. Make the croutons and spread as well. Keep the soup covered in the refrigerator, heat gently and add the cream at the last minute. Keep the croutons in a zip-top bag. Keep the spread, covered, in the refrigerator. Take the spread out at least ½ hour before serving, to allow it to warm up so it doesn’t break the croutons when you spread it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gSodium: 1297mgFiber: 6gCholesterol: 25mgCalories: 334kcalPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 3gFat: 13gProtein: 9gCarbohydrates: 43g

Keyword blended soup, cauliflower, creamy, first course soup

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