Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

This soup is great for a cold winter's day with immune boosting garlic, leeks and onion along with beta-carotene filled carrots and squash that not only help your immune system but also can reduce psoriasis flare-ups and aid your liver processing of hormones.

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup – one serving = 2 cups

¼ cup olive oil

4 carrots or parsnips, sliced

1 butternut squash (or another winter squash or pumpkin), peeled, seeded, cubed

2 leeks, sliced

1 onion, quartered

3 cloves of garlic

3 bay leaves

2 thyme sprigs and 3 rosemary sprigs

5 cups vegetable stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Put olive oil in a large bowl, add cut vegetables and garlic, toss to coat. Spread vegetables on 1-2 baking sheets and add the thyme, bay leaves and rosemary.  Roast for about 50 minutes or until tender, tossing them occasionally. Remove from oven, discard herbs, transfer vegetables to a large saucepan. Add stock to vegetables and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let soup cool, then transfer soup to a food processor or blender and process until smooth (or use an immersion blender to blend soup on the cooking pot).  Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley.