In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, careful not to burn the garlic, and add the thyme and salt. You can also throw in some red pepper flakes if you want a little bit of spice. Once the mixture is aromatic, you can add the vegetable stock, stir it well, and bring it to a gentle boil.

Preheat the oven to 350. While waiting for the soup to boil, dice your root vegetables of choice, in this case, potatoes, turnip, and carrots. Add them to the soup, cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes. Throw in the barley as well, if using. Pro tip: If you want to add a bit of depth to the flavor, throw in the rind of a block of parmesan cheese. Just don’t forget to take it out before you serve!

While the soup is simmering, cut your winter greens into thin strips. When potatoes are soft, uncover the soup, bump the heat back up to a gentle boil, and add the greens. They will only take 5 to 10 minutes to wilt.

In the meantime, toss your bread with the olive oil, cheese, rosemary, and salt. I find it makes sense to add the olive oil in stages to avoid it being immediately absorbed into the top layer of bread. Once the croutons are prepped, spread them out on a baking pan and bake in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes. Finish the croutons with two to three minutes under the broiler.

Ladle up a bowl, top with croutons, and enjoy the coziest meal you’ll eat this winter.