Making soup - help!

[loveulotslikejellytots]

I've got a load of old veg that I need to use up so I thought i'd make some soup. I've made soup from a recipe before but never without. I have the following:

Butternut Squash
Sweet potatoe
Onion
Carrot
Parsnip

And the obvious store cupboard things like tinned toms, garlic, ginger, stock etc.

Would I be better roasting the veg first? And then put it in the stock and blend it all together?

Or should I just bung it all in the pot with some stock and tinned toms and blend? I'm going to put some red lentils in it to make it into something a bit more substantial so I'll need to add these as some point.

Thanks in advance!

You could for either, but IMO roasting would give you a nicer soup. I would roast the veg, fry off the onions, add some ginger, then some stock; Add the roasted veg then blitz. I think it would be substantial even without the lentils so I wouldn't bother adding them, and I don't think tomatoes would add the right flavour.

Dice everything and stir fry with chopped onion until soft (no garlic nor toms with this combination)
Add bay leaf and stock and simmer untill mushy.
Dont blend. Just whisk with a dollop of cream.

Imho if you want a blended soup, you need to keep flavors clean so do either:
Creamy parsnip
Or
Carrot orange coriander
Or
Squash and cinamon
Or
Sweet potato chowder with a dollop or yogurt and chives

You could also do a curried root veg soup? Then use one single skinned and diced tomato + coriander powder, cumin & coconut milk. But NO garlic

I would skip the lentils and tomatoes as well. It will already be substantial and I don't see how the tomatoes would go either.

You could also add some cream or a creamy blue cheese at the very end to make it a bit more, well, creamier.

I would roast the veg in a little olive oil
Gently fry some onion, ginger, garlic and chilli if you have it. Add a carrot and a handful of potatoes if you have them.
Add some stock then add the roasted veg for 10 mins then blend. Maybe a swirl of cream or creme fresche (sp?) at the end?

skip the toms and red lentils, roast the rest. If anyhting, I would add some celery.