Spiced Root Vegetable Soup - with Havana spice mix

Fall is here! Time to bring out the hearty recipes we have been missing all summer. Even though we rarely actually get cold here in Houston, who can resist a warm bowl of bisque-like soup when the temps begin to drop?
This recipe is delicious and full of the root vegetable vitamins we need to gear up for winter. Any root vegetables you have and like will do: carrots, fennel bulb, parsnips, cauliflower, golden beets, yams, potatoes...you name it.  Whatever combo you use, just make sure they taste good together and that you adjust cooking times on the roasting if needed to make them tender. Use 3-4 lbs total veg.

For this recipe, I used carrots and celery root!  Why? I like them! Celery root is basically the ugliest of all vegetables, and it's a minor pain to clean, but it's delicious! If you've never tried one, imagine a celery stalk meets a potato. Just trim and scrub it up.

What you will need:

1 celery root - cleaned and cut into 1-2" cubes

2 lbs carrots - pealed and cut into chunks

1 large shallot or small yellow onion - pealed and cut into chunks

2 large garlic cloves - skin on

6 C vegetable broth

1-2 T Moroccan Tagine or Havana spice mix

1/2 C cream, creme fraise, or sour cream (coconut milk for vegan!)

olive oil

additional salt to taste

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degree F.
Throw all of your cut up veg into a baking pan except the garlic.  Toss veg with a splash of olive oil and 1 T of spice mix.  Roast veg in the oven for 20 minutes. Add the garlic and roast another 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Squeeze the garlic right out of its skins into the other roasted veg. careful - it's hot!  

Could you eat them just like this?  Oh ya. Right here you already have a wonderful side dish! But hey - we want soup....

Blend all your roasted veg with 6 C of vegetable stock. I used an emersion blender, but whatever gets the job done is fine.  You could use water or chicken broth, but you may need to adjust your seasoning. Taste it. Add salt or more spice mix if desired. 

Before you serve, stir in 1/2 C cream and garnish with something pretty: fennel fronds, chopped parsley, crusty croutons, toasted cashews...
You won't be disappointed. This one will hit the spot when you need to cozy up with something hearty and healthy. We served ours for dinner with loaded baked potatoes.  In a bigger bowl you'd have a meal all by itself with a nice crusty piece of bread.  Bon appetit!