Roasted Carrot Soup with Beet Chip Croutons

For the carrot soup:
Preheat the oven to 425°F, and place the chopped carrots on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the carrots lightly with the olive oil, then add salt and pepper, garlic and parsley. Stir until the carrots are coated with the olive oil and seasonings.

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, and roast the carrots at 425°F until fork tender, about 1 hour. Stir the carrots halfway through to avoid sticking. Once the carrots are done, take the baking sheet out of the oven, and let the carrots cool until warm.

Once they have cooled down, transfer the carrots and their juices to a food processor or blender. Add the vegetable broth or water, along with the maple syrup, and puree until the carrot soup is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings by adding salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, feel free to add more vegetable broth. Serve with the beet chips and enjoy!

For the beet chip croutons:
Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the beets into thin slices. The thinner the slices, the crispier the croutons will be. Place the sliced beets into a large bowl and add the olive oil, salt, pepper and dried parsley. Stir until the beets are all coated.

Transfer the beets to the cooling rack, making sure the beet slices aren’t touching each other on the rack. Put the baking sheet in the oven, and cook at 375°F for 12-15 minutes, until the beet chips are crispy. Watch the oven during the last few minutes to avoid burning the chips.

Remove the chips from the oven, and let them cool completely on the cooling rack. Serve the carrot soup in bowls, then top each with a few beet chip croutons, and enjoy!