Carrot/Ginger/Yam/Squash Soup with Kale Chips

...and I served it with brown rice. Insert vegetarian joke here_______________.

The soup was a way to make a small batch using odds and ends around the kitchen. The kale chips were an interesting garnish.


For the soup:

4 carrots, diced
1 cup cooked acorn squash
1 yam, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons peeled, chopped ginger
1 large white baking potato
8 tablespoons butter
Salt Pepper
6 cups rich vegetable stock

Cook the vegetables in the butter until slightly softened. Add the stock and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer, adjust salt and pepper and cook until all vegetables are quite soft. Strain, reserving liquid. Puree in small batches (carefully) letting steam escape from blender now and then (trust me on this one). Return to pot and thin as needed with stock. Serve topped with kale chips (recipe follows).

Kale Chips:

1 bunch kale, stripped from thick stems and torn into chip-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash and dry the kale. In a bowl, combine kale and oil. using your hands, run the leaves until they are fairly coated and glossy. Lay carefully (not overlapping) on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until crisp-about 10 minutes. Best served the day they are made.