Great Leftovers Vegetable Soup

This started as a way to use up mostly local vegetables from the fridge but turned out to be a great winter vegetable soup--very hearty and good layers of flavor.

Ingredients:

1/2 + c. olive oil

1/3 c. white flour

4 small onions, chopped

5 stalks celery, chopped

the following cubed:

1 XL! rutabaga

3 parsnips

1 XL carrot

1 M turnip

14 oz. crushed tomato (canned)

about 6 c water

1T powdered garlic

2T dried basil

2T dried oregano

1T dried thyme

1T salt

1/4-1/2t red pepper flakes (more for kick)

1/2t ground black pepper

Start by heating the oil and make a roux with the flour (med hot oil, add flour in bits and stir constantly, scraping bottom) to a light brown nutty scent. This is what gives the soup its body.

Add the onions and celery. Cook to soft. Lower heat and add garlic.

Add carrots, parsnips, turnip, rutabaga--one at a time, heating through.

Add crushed tomato and heat through. Add spices and mix in.

Add water and bring to a full boil. Let simmer for 1-2 hours.

Adjust seasoning.

I the soup is a little spicy and goes well with a dollop of yogurt.

I served it with cous-cous, but I wasn't crazy about the texture. Israeli cous-cous would be better--or rice.

Great soup, though, and worth repeating.