Vegetable soup starts in oven, ends on stove

It may seem odd to turn on the oven when making soup, but roasting really is what makes this soup so spectacular.

Roasting the vegetables caramelizes them and brings out nutty flavors that enhance all the other ingredients.

Feel free to throw in just about any other vegetables you have lurking in your crisper drawer.

Makes 6 servings

2 large yellow onions,

cut into wedges

2 medium zucchini,

diced

2 medium summer

squash, diced

4 large carrots,

peeled and diced

2 medium potatoes,

peeled and diced

2 tablespoons vegeta-

ble or canola oil

Salt and ground black

pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground

cumin

1 quart low-sodium

chicken or vegeta-

ble broth

Sour cream or yogurt,

to serve

Chopped fresh cilant-

ro or parsley,

to serve

1. Heat the oven to 400 F.

2. In a large bowl, combine the onions, zucchini, summer squash, carrots, and potatoes. Drizzle the vegetables with the oil, then sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and the cumin. Toss to combine.

3. Spread the vegetables evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast until tender and browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Working in batches, transfer the vegetables to a blender, and puree until smooth. For each batch, pour in a bit of the broth to help puree.

5. As each batch is pureed, remove any fibrous bits by pouring it through a mesh strainer and into a large saucepan.

6. When all of the batches have been strained, set the saucepan over medium heat. Stir in any remaining broth, and bring to a simmer.

7. Season with salt and pepper, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with sour cream or yogurt and chopped herbs.

Per serving: 160 calories; 45 calories from fat (28 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 6 g protein; 260 mg sodium.