Root Vegetable Miso Stew

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil
• 4 large leeks (white part only) or 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• sea salt
• 2 pounds (about 8 cups) assorted root vegetables, (such as winter squash, rutabaga, carrots, sweet potato, celery root, parsnips, turnips) peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 piece of kombu seaweed
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups filtered water
• 4 tablespoons (heaping) of mellow miso paste

1. n a large pot, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add leeks or onion, garlic, ginger, fennel, 1/2 tsp sea salt, red pepper flakes if using and stir well. Reduce flame a bit and saute for about 5 minutes or until the leeks or onion soften. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and slowly cook until the mixture is soft and juicy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Check a few times and stir.
2. Add the root vegetables, thyme, bay leaf and kombu - raise heat to high and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Pour in the filtered water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. In a small bowl mix the miso paste with some of the hot broth to make a slurry. Mix the miso slurry into the soup pot, stirring to combine. Taste, adding a TB more miso or a dash of sea salt to taste. Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh thyme or parsley leaves on top

extravirgin olive oil, butter, leeks, garlic, fresh ginger root, fennel bulb, red pepper, salt, root vegetables, thyme, bay leaf, water, paste

Taken from food52.com/recipes/32944-root-vegetable-miso-stew (may not work)