Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe by Lulu Powers

I own 53 cookbooks (just fact-checked the count because accuracy is everything when you're a journalist) and I subscribe to several cooking magazines and frequently check cookbooks out from the library. As often as not, however, I find myself typing whatever ingredients I have on hand into the Epicurious search engine. Today's online-procured culinary inspiration is a recipe for wintery goodness concocted by Lulu Powers that originally appeared in Self magazine, January 2004. The maple syrup and cayenne pepper add scrumptious zing to this soup.

Winter Vegetable Soup

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup peeled, cored and coarsely chopped Granny Smith apple
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped turnip
1 cup peeled and chopped butternut squash (seeds discarded)
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
1 cup peeled, chopped sweet potato
5 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
1/4 cup maple syrup
Cayenne pepper
1 small whole-grain baguette
3 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Preparation

For soup, heat oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add apple, turnip, squash, carrot, and sweet potato; season with salt, then sauté 5 minutes. Add stock, bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add syrup, then cayenne pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Puree with a handheld mixer, food processor or blender. For toast toppers, cut 6 slices bread and toast them. Spread 1/2 oz goat cheese on top of each; sprinkle with chives. Pour soup into 6 large bowls; float toast on top.