Super Green Sheet Pan Soup with Pesto Grilled Cheese Croutons

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil (For roasting the vegetables)
• 1 large leek (Trimmed, washed, and cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 1 head garlic (Slice off the top; use only half of the roasted cloves in the soup)
• 0.5 head cauliflower (Roughly chopped into florets)
• 0.5 head broccoli (Roughly chopped into florets)
• 1 medium-large zucchini (Diced)
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (Peeled and diced)
• 2 tsp kosher salt (Divided: 1 teaspoon for roasting, remaining 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for blending according to taste)
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (For roasting)
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth (Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (Juice from 1 large lemon)
• 2 cups spinach (Fresh)
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (Optional)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Prepare a large rimmed sheet pan and a blender capable of holding hot liquid, working in batches if necessary.

2. 2

   Trim and wash the leek, then cut it into approximately 1-inch pieces. Chop the cauliflower and broccoli into florets, dice the zucchini, and peel and dice the potatoes. Slice off the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves.

3. 3

   Arrange the leek, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, potatoes, and prepared garlic head on the large sheet pan. Drizzle everything with the olive oil, then season with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt and the black pepper. Toss or turn the vegetables so they are evenly coated, keeping the garlic head cut-side up if possible.

4. 4

   Roast for about 30 minutes, until all of the vegetables are fork-tender and the edges are lightly browned. The garlic should be soft and fragrant.

5. 5

   About 10 minutes before the vegetables finish roasting, place the broth and frozen peas in a small pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and keep it hot; do not allow it to boil vigorously.

6. 6

   When the vegetables are tender, remove the roasted garlic from the sheet pan and squeeze or separate the cloves from the papery skin. Add only half of the roasted garlic cloves to the blender; reserve or discard the remainder.

7. 7

   Add the roasted vegetables, hot broth and peas, lemon juice, spinach, parsley, optional red pepper flakes, and the remaining 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the blender. Add the hot ingredients carefully to avoid splashing.

8. 8

   Blend until completely smooth and creamy. If the blender is small, blend in batches, and vent the lid according to the blender manufacturer's instructions so steam can escape. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.

9. 9

   Pour the soup into bowls and serve hot. Top with pesto grilled cheese croutons if desired; the croutons are optional but strongly encouraged. The grilled cheese crouton recipe is provided separately on crowdedkitchen.com.

Notes

The pesto grilled cheese croutons are optional and are not included because their separate recipe was not provided in the source. Blend hot ingredients carefully and in batches if needed. Use vegetable broth to keep the soup vegetarian.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• vegetarian option
• vegan without croutons
• gluten-free without croutons
• sheet-pan
• blended
• roasted vegetables