Creamy Root Vegetable Soup with Black Pepper Biscuits

Soup is a great way to clean out the vegetable drawer and its fast and delicious. Biscuits are easier than one might think so unlike to make them from scratch when I have a few extra minutes.

8-10 carrots roughly chopped
4 potatoes peeled and roughly chopped
1 large onion minced
1/2 butter nut squash seeded and roughly chopped.
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons Corriander powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoons marjoram
2 cans vegetable stock
4-5 cans water
6 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup butter or shortening
3/4 cup milk

Chop onions and carrots. Add them to a large stock pot preheated over medium heat with the olive oil. Let these cook while you peel and chop the potatoes and chop the squash. Add these to the pot. Add the salt, pepper, cumin and tomato paste. Let this cook for a minute. Add the liquid. Bring this to a boil reduce heat cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked through. Let the soup cool a little. For the biscuits place all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter cut the butter or shortening until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add the milk and mix until the dough forms into a loose, sticky ball. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 10 times. Flatten it to about 1/2 inch thick. I use my cooking spray lid to cut the biscuits. Dip your cutter in flour and cut out the biscuits. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle with more black pepper and bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Once the soup has cooled a little bit place in the blender, in batches, and purée the mixture. Place it in a clean pot with the cream cheese and heat through until the cream cheese is melted.