nothin' like a good bowl of soup

I made some great soup tonight for supper.  Soup is really good when you've shovelled many inches of Heavy Wet Stuff in the morning and then tromped around in it late in the afternoon (in the dark) to get horses in.  And I suspect that if you cook the turkey carcass after Thanksgiving,  the broth and meat scraps will make this even more deelish.  These are the quantities I used, and it made enough for 3-4 generous servings.  Vary quantities as you wish to make a soup as thin or thick as you like. * means you can do this part ahead

Roasted vegetable soup essentials
= 1 small butternut (not buttercup) squash (about 1lb.), peeled, seeded and cut in 1" strips
= 1 medium yellow onion, cut in 8ths
= 2-3-4 cloves peeled garlic
= 2-3 medium-sized carrots, peeled, cut lengthwise and then cut into chunks
= 1lb small peeled boiling potatoes, quartered or halved depending on size

= 2-3 cans of chicken broth or 4+ cups turkey broth or a combination of both
= 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, plain or basil/oregano flavored

Roasted vegetable soup options: (use any or all)
= shredded turkey scraps (I used leftover chicken) or slices of kielbasa
= several leaves of regular (not baby) spinach, washed well, stemmed, and sliced or kale
= fresh green beans, cooked (like those big fat green beans cluttering up the freezer)
= cannellini beans  or angel hair pasta, broken into short lengths
(beans and kielbasa would be wonderful)

*Roast the veggies. Lightly coat a roasting pan or cookie sheet with sides with olive oil. Put all the essential veggies on pan/sheet. Sprinkle a little more oil and toss to coat.  Add salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender (turning occasionally, and they burn fast ...)  When the veggies are done, separate out the squash and carrots and cut them into smaller dice.

* Put the rest of the roasted veggies in the food processor and add the canned tomatoes. Process until almost smooth.

(If you do all that ahead, bring the ingredients to room temperature before you start soup-making.)

When you're ready to make the soup, put the veggie puree in a 3-quart pot, add enough broth to make a medium-thick soup, and bring it to a boil. Lowe the heat and  let it simmer for 30 minutes or so. (Add more broth if it starts to stick).  If you're going to use angel hair pasta, add it during the last couple of minutes.

Add the squash and carrots along with any options that you want. Add more broth to make the soup the thickness/thinness you prefer.  Cook another 5-8 minutes.

Serve and enjoy.