Really should come up with a better name for this, as "Fall Soup" is a bit odd and boring. But if I call it by its ingredients, I doubt anyone other than my mum would eat it with me...
Mats:
1 Butternut Squash
2 Turnips
1 Parsnip
2 "Horse Carrots" - the bigger, the sweeter
4 Red skin potatoes
6oz frozen corn
2c Chicken stock (from bouillon or ready-made)
4c water
1/4 milk or heavy cream
Pepper
Prep:
Cover your broiling pan with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up), and preheat the oven to 450
Slice the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, making sure to get all the stringy stuff out. Place the halves cut-side down on the broiler.
Peel the turnips, cut in half and place cut-side down on the broiler.
Peel the parsnip, cut in half lengthwise, and place cut-side down on the broiler.
Try to arrange all the veggies evenly on the broiler, you don't want one half really heavy and the other with just a bit of parsnip on it. Brush the topside of the veggies with a little bit of olive oil, then put the broiler in the oven.
Roast the vegetables at 450 for 35-40 minutes, or until you can *easily* pierce the veggies with a knife. The skin of the squash should have black bubbles on it and be about as tough as wet tissue paper.
Let them cool for about 20-30 minutes on the counter, burned fingers are not worth it.
Scrape the flesh of the butternut squash into a blender or food processor. Chuck the turnips and parsnip in the blender as well.
*NOTE* if your blender isn't big enough, do half the squash, one turnip and half the parsnip as one batch, then repeat.
Add 1c of water to the veggies and blend thoroughly (about 1 minute on high). Odds are your blender will seize up and complain because the soup is so thick; if that happens, stop the blender, stir the mixture around (add a bit more water if you think it needs it), and give it another go. Keep adding water until you can run the blender for a full minute on high without the blender complaining or only mixing the bottom third of the soup.
Once you've gotten the soup to a consistency resembling baby food, pour the soup into a large saucepan. Set the heat to medium-high.
Add the chicken stock. If you're using bouillon, reconstitute it according to package directions FIRST, then add it.
Chop the potatoes into cubes about 1/2 inch thick, add to the soup.
Chop the carrots into rounds about 1/2 inch thick, add to the soup.
Add the corn
Salt/Pepper to taste.
Cover with a lid and bring to a low boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.
Swirl the milk/heavy cream in, stir a little and serve.
If you want, a few crumbles of bacon as a last minute topping on this would be divine.
