Farmhouse Vegetable Soup

Low-Fat Farmhouse Vegetable Soup
Graham Kerr
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 medium carrots
3 medium parsnips
1 medium sweet potato
3 bay leaves
4 parsley stalks
3 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
Salt
Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Extra parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions
Scrub carrots and parsnips; peel one of each. Cut peeled vegetables into half-inch dice. Roughly chop the rest.
Peel sweet potato; roughly chop. Tie bay leaves, parsley stalks and thyme into a bunch with string.
Pour oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add roughly chopped vegetables and onion; shallow-fry for about 3 minutes, continuously stirring. Add garlic and fry for 1 more minute, continuously stirring.

Add 1 and a 1/2 cups vegetable stock and bunch of herbs. Simmer until softened, 15 to 20 minutes; remove herbs. While onion mixture is simmering, add diced carrots and parsnips and remaining stock to another saucepan; simmer until just cooked, about 12 minutes.
Put onion mixture into blender; whiz until smooth. Pour into empty saucepan.

For velvet sauce, take 1 cup of blended onion mixture; return it to blender. Add evaporated skim milk. Blend at highest speed for at least 2 minutes (until glossy). Pour into pitcher or gravy boat.

Stir diced carrots and parsnips into remaining blended onion mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Shortly before serving, bring soup to a boil. Serve dusted with chopped parsley and with velvet sauce on the side, as a topper.

Nutrients per serving: 182 calories, 5g protein, 33g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, 4g fat, 1mg cholesterol, 340mg sodium