Gigi's Favorite Puréed Vegetable Soup

1 onion
3 tablespoons butter
1 cauliflower (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed,
washed, and separated into flowerets
1 small head of cabbage (about 3/4 pound),
cored and sliced
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut
into 1-inch pieces
1 turnip, peeled and sliced
2 leeks, well washed and sliced
2 carrots, sliced
8 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered
1 1/2 cups small green peas (preferably fresh,
but frozen will do)
1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh chives, snipped
Addition freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

In a large soup kettle or stockpot, cook the onion in the butter over moderate heat, stirring, until it is softened. Add the cauliflower, cabbage, green beans, turnip, leeks, and carrots. Stir the vegetables well, coating them with butter. Add the stock and simmer the soup, partially covered, for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, peas, potatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the soup, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the
potatoes are tender.
In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, purée the soup in batches [or better yet, if you have an immersion blender, purée the soup right in the pot]. Return the soup to the kettle and stir in the half-and-half. Bring the soup just to the boiling point over moderate heat, then remove it from the heat and stir in 1 cup Parmesan and the snipped chives. Serve additional grated Parmesan separately, if desired.
[Unfortunately, most of the recipes handed down from my mother have no notation as to the number of servings the recipe yields. How about 6 to 8? Sounds about right to me.  Depending, of course…  This recipe smacks somehow of Gourmet, but I am just guessing.]
 

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