Winter White Vegetable Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 medium beet, trimmed (about 8 ounces)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 small head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (4 cups)
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 medium celeriac, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 large fennel bulb, sliced (discard leafy tops ( (2 cups)
2 medium parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, halved
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives (optional)

Preparation

Wrap beet in foil. Roast in a 400 degrees degree oven about 1 hour or until just tender. Cool. Peel and dice or grate; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a 4-quart Dutch oven cook and stir onion in hot butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender. Add cauliflower, turnips, celeriac, potatoes, fennel, parsnips, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Remove from heat. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups milk. Let cool slightly.
Transfer soup mixture in batches to a blender or food processor; cover and blend or process until smooth. Return all soup to Dutch oven. Add additional milk to reach desired consistency. Heat through. Ladle into individual bowls and sprinkle with beets and, if desired, chives. Makes 10 servings.