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French Onion Soup

3/31/2026

 
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I’m French so this always tastes good when I make this soup. You really only need 3 or 4 ingredients to put this together & it’s perfect for a cold day. Top it with toasted croutons and maybe a little melty vegan cheese and it is perfection. The longer you caramelize the onions, the deeper the flavor. I like to take my time and get them super caramelized so it sometimes can take awhile… it’s worth it. If you have nothing in the pantry or fridge for dinner, this is a great solution. ​
Ingredients
2 large yellow onions, sliced 
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp oil
​1 tsp brown sugar
4 cups of stock of your choice
1 sprig of dried thyme or other herb of your choice
salt & pepper to taste

Optional: 1 Tbsp all purpose flour

Method of Preparation
1. Add oil to a soup pot with tall sides and turn the burner to medium. 

2. When the oil is hot add the sliced onions and stir to soften- about 10 minutes


3. Add sugar & a sprinkle of salt/pepper and mix well.


4. Cook for another 20-40 minutes, only stirring every 5 minutes or so. This will allow your onions to caramelize slowly, making them sweet but not burnt. You can choose how dark you like them or how much patience & time you have. Add your minced garlic at the very end, along with your thyme. 


5. If you like a thicker soup, add 1 Tbsp of flour and stir together with the onions on low for a few minutes.


6. Warm up your stock and add to the onion mixture, stirring to combine. 


7. Simmer on medium low for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, if your stock isn’t salted you may want to add some here. You can also add some soy sauce or coconut aminos for added savory flavor.

8. Enjoy the soup as is, or top with garnishes.

Garnish
This soup can hold its own without any additional add-ons, but French onion soup really is a vessel for lots of crusty bread. You can top with toasted bread croutons that you cut into squares, or you can lay a whole slice of bread on top of your oven-safe bowl and broil for a few minutes. It makes your bread a combo of crispy and soft and it soaks up the onion broth perfectly. I also recommend adding shredded cheese, melting that on top of the bread too!



Spiced Carrot Soup

3/31/2026

 
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Spiced Carrot Soup ​
This carrot soup is really easy to put together and has the perfect warm fall flavors. To get it nice and silky smooth you do need a blender or immersion blender. It’s very comforting and sweet, with a hint of harissa spice and coconut.This recipe makes a big pot: 6-10 servings depending on how much soup you like to eat.

Ingredient
1 lb of carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
1 onion (white or yellow), peeled & roughly chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored & roughly chopped
3-6 garlic cloves, peeled & left whole
1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
1-2 Tbsp harissa (you can use dry or a paste, if you can’t find any you could also use a curry powder)
1 can of coconut milk
2-4 cups of vegetable stock (less if you like a thicker soup, more if you like a thinner soup)
salt & pepper to taste
Method of Preparation
  1. Add oil to a big pot and heat on medium heat. Toss in your carrots, onion, garlic and apple with a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes- until things begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add your harissa and stir to coat all of your vegetables. Cook for a minute or two until it begins to be really fragrant. 
  3. Deglaze your pan with vegetable stock and add your can of coconut milk. Bring everything to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
  4. Blend everything up! Use an immersion blender right in the cooking pot, or carefully transfer to a blender jar and blend in batches until smooth.
  5. Taste for seasoning, especially if you used an unsalted stock. If you like things spicy add some hot pepper flakes or sambal. If you like things sweeter add a bit of nutmeg.
  6. Dish it up! See serving suggestions below for how I like to serve this soup​.
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​Serve it up! 
I always serve this soup with a side of white rice, especially if I’m just having this for my main meal. You can make some great garnishes too- a spiced sour cream topping, a drizzle of basil oil, or chopped vegan bacon all goes really well. But my FAVORITE topping is chhonk.

To make a chhonk you just need to fry aromatics like dried & fresh herbs in some hot fat. Here’s how I make a simple one for this soup:
Heat a few teaspoons of oil on low heat until it’s glistening. Toss in a teaspoon of whole mustard seeds until they start to pop a bit. Then add about 1/4 of fresh sage leaves and give them a quick toss in the oil to coat.
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That’s it! You can use any herbs/spices that you prefer, but I love the taste of the sage with this sweet and creamy soup. The fresh herbs get nice and crispy and the dried herbs get beautifully toasty and aromatic. I just pile the chhonk on top of the soup along with any remaining oil since it’s so nicely infused with the spices.

Squash, Apple-Cheddar Soup

10/25/2016

 
Ingredients:
2-3 lbs roasted winter squash (I used kabocha squash here)
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
1-2 stocks celery (optional)
2 apples peeled/cored and chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp butter
4 cups water
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 cup grated/aged cheddar cheese
2 cups whole milk
Nutmeg for garnish
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Method:
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the winter squash in half, scoop out the seeds and flip face down on a baking sheet. Roast for about 1 hour, or until you can easily poke through with a fork. 
While the squash roasts, chop the onions, celery and apples. Ready the garlic. Once you have these items prepared, heat butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add onion, celery, apples and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Stir well. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let cook for 10 more minutes.
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Remove the lid and add 2 cups of water and the herbs. Bring to a boil. Cover again and let the mixture gently boil for 8-10 minutes. Reduce to low and let simmer until the squash is ready. (You can also prepare the squash ahead of time so this timing works out better).
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Once the squash is ready, scoop the squash out of it's skin into the pot. Add the additional 2 cups water and stir well. Allow this to cook over medium heat for 10-15 more minutes. Stirring occasionally.
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Reduce heat to low and uncover. Use an immersion blender (or food processor) to liquify the soup. I like to keep it semi-thick. If you're using a food processor, be sure to not over mix, and then transfer soup back to pot after blending.

​Add the milk slowly while stirring until you reach the desired consistency. Now add the cheese. While heat is set to low, allow the cheese to melt completely into the soup! Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Garnish with a dash of nutmeg. Enjoy!
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Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

10/10/2016

 
Perfect dinner for a chilly fall day. This warming and healthy soup is great with some hearty wheat bread and a side salad.
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Ingredients:
2 Tsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 large sweet potatoes, baked and skinned. (You can also just peel and cube the sweet potatoes, pre-baking is not crucial)
1 bunch lacinato kale trimmed and chopped (any kale works)
4 cups broth (I use veggie broth, but chicken or beef stock works too)
2 Tsp tamari
2 Tsp crushed rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cheese of choice, to garnish
3 Tbsp parsley, chopped, to garnish
Optional: Can of white beans, drained and rinsed well

**If you're baking the sweet potatoes, you can do this ahead of time.**
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potatoes with a fork many times. Wrap each potato in tin foil. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until tender. Remove from the oven and let set until cool. Open the foil wrapping and peel skins off potatoes. Store in a container in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the soup!
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Method:
Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add the onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the kale and the sweet potatoes. Stir well and add broth. Bring to a boil. 
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If you're using pre-baked potatoes your soup will be creamier like the photo on the left below. Chopped, unbaked potatoes will give the soup a chunky consistency like the photo on the right below. Either option is delicious. If you're opting for beans, add those now!
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Once you bring the soup to a boil, let cook for 15-20 minutes. Add the tamari, rosemary, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook 15 more minutes. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Sometimes I will add red pepper flakes too.
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​Serve in soup bowls garnished with parsley and cheese. I like parm or cheddar.

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Root 5 Farm 
Danielle Allen & Ben Dana
2340 US Route 5 North
Fairlee, Vermont 05045

(802) 923-6339
[email protected]
[email protected]
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©Root 5 Farm LLC 2024 All Rights Reserved
Root 5 Farm grows certified organic vegetables and delivers throughout the Upper Valley May-December.
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  • About Us
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