Creamy Vegetable Soup

by Brenda Langton, Tastemaker in Residence - recipe by Mary Jane Miller

You can take pretty much any vegetable and turn it into a creamy, satisfying soup that is great hot or cold. Tip: Swap out some of the butter with bacon or pancetta fat for an extra kick of flavor.

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups coarsely chopped vegetables
1 Yukon gold or white potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable) or water
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic. Stir to coat with butter. Add salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened but not brown, about 3 minutes.
2. Add potato and broth. Note: If your vegetables are hard, add them here, if they are tender add them for the last 5 to 7 minutes of cooking. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
3. Add milk and pepper. Use an immersion blender to puree soup until very smooth. If you use a standard blender, blend it in batches and remove center plug from lid. Cover top with kitchen towel as hot soup can spurt out while blending.
4. Spoon into bowls and serve topped with a dollop of sour cream, croutons, popcorn, drizzles of olive oil, slivers of vegetables and/or chopped herbs, and cooked pancetta if desired.