Root Vegetable Soup - Rutabaga, Cabbage, Potato, Daikon

If you are looking for a hearty winter soup that banishes the cold, look no further than root vegetable soup.  The inclusion of beans and spelt berries make this soup a filling, complete meal in a pot.  From start to finish it can be ready in an hour and it uses several recent offerings from CRO.  

Spelt is an ancient grain rich in manganese, copper, zinc and iron and is a good source of protein and fiber.  The spelt berry is the spelt grain kernel.  It has a chewy texture and nutty flavor.  I cooked my own (like cooking dried beans), but if you don't want to bother with all that and you can't find them already cooked, you could substitute something like couscous or even macaroni noodles.  

Root Vegetable Soup

2 medium onions, chopped (CRO Week 18)
olive oil cooking spray
1 cup rutabaga, peeled and cubed (CRO Week 19)
1 cup peeled and cubed daikon radish (CRO Week 21)
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed gold potatoes (CRO Week 21)
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp each of dried rosemary, thyme, marjoram
2 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup chopped Green Cabbage (CRO Week 20)
1 15 oz. can Great Northern Beans
2 cups cooked spelt berries*
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sweating the vegetables draws out their flavor

Spray a soup pot with olive oil cooking spray and place pot over medium heat on stove.  Cook onions for 5 minutes stirring often and add rutabaga, daikon, potato, carrots, celery, dried herbs and bay leaves.  "Sweat" these vegetables by cooking over medium heat about 10 minutes.  Add the vegetable broth and cabbage and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat so the soup just simmers, cover it, and continue to simmer about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Add cooked spelt berries and beans with their liquid.  Continue to cook about 10 more minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  The soup will thicken as it sits so if you refrigerate any you may need to add more vegetable broth or water to thin it to the desired consistency.  Serves 6-8.

*You can find basic cooking instructions for spelt berries here: How to cook spelt berries.