Time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
- 2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 rosemary or thyme branches
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 1/2 pounds mixed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato) peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, more for serving
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
- Crushed Aleppo, Urfa, or other crushed chile flakes, optional
- Grated parmesan or pecorino, optional
1. Melt the butter in the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves; cook 1 minute more. Stir in the root vegetables, 8 cups water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Remove and discard rosemary branches and bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth (Alternatively, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor). If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Season lemon juice and more salt to taste.
3. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, flaky salt and crushed chile or grated cheese, if desired.