Fiction-Food Café: Veggie Cream Soup | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

"Today’s dinner is veggie cream soup! It’s super nourishing and fortifying!"

"This creamy soup showcases the sweetness of vegetables in a veritable taste explosion."

–In-game descriptions, "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"

Give dear little Koko of Kakariko Village the swift carrot she asks for to help make dinner for her little sister Cottla and she'll share a heart filling serving of "Hasty Veggie Cream Soup" with you. The soup base is rock salt and fresh milk and then you add in either carrots (endura or hasty) or fortifying pumpkin. The carrot or pumpkin effect will cause the soup to give Link an effect boost like "hasty" for speed, "enduring" for stamina, or "tough" for defense. In the game you can't combine effects, but in the in-game image of the soup it shows both carrot and pumpkin, so that's what I went for in this recipe–I wanted to get close to the picture, plus I wanted those yummy flavors! I hope you enjoy it and it fills your heart, stomach, and coziness-factor in chilly weather. :)

Veggie Cream Soup

Ingredients:
3 Large Carrots
½ Small Kabocha or Acorn Squash
3 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
1 Sweet Onion, chopped
1 Large Yukon Gold Potato, peeled & cubed
1 Cup Chopped Celery
2½ Cups Vegetable Broth
½ Cup Water
½ Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Dash of Lemon Juice (optional)

Directions:
Heat your oven to 400ºF. Chop the carrots into approximately 1 inch pieces (no need to peel). Scoop out and discard the insides of the kabocha or squash and then chop into approximately 1½ inch chunks (skin left on).

Line a large baking tray with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread the chopped carrots on the tray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and move the carrots to one side. Spread the kabocha or squash pieces on the other side of the tray. Place the tray back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

In a large pot on medium heat, melt the butter and then add the garlic and cook until golden and aromatic. Add the chopped onion and cook until just tender.

Pour in the broth and water, and then add in the celery and diced potato and bring to a boil. Cook until the celery and potatoes are just tender.

Remove the soup from the heat. Peel the skin off ⅓ of the roasted kabocha or squash pieces, and then put those pieces into the soup, discarding the skin (or eating it!). Add in the olive oil to help emulsify. Blend with an immersion bender, or pour in batches into a standing blender with a towel over top, starting on low and increasing the speed until smooth (if using a standing blender, return to the pot when done).

Stir in the heavy cream, and then add in the roasted carrots and the rest of the roasted kabocha or squash. Stir in salt and pepper to taste, plus an optional dash of lemon juice to brighten it up. Serve with torn, rustic bread.