Roasted onion, potato and cabbage soup with Pecorino

- Heat the oven to 425°F. Combine the potatoes, onions, and garlic in a large roasting pan. Add the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

- Add the cabbage and another 1/2 teaspoon salt to the roasting pan, toss to combine, and roast until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

- Remove the roasting pan from the oven and place it over two burners on the stove. Stir in 2 cups of the chicken stock and cook over low heat for a few minutes, scraping up any dark and crispy roasted bits that are stuck to the pan.

- Transfer the contents of the roasting pan to a 3 or 4 quart pot. Stir in 2 more cups of chicken stock, plus the milk and/or Pecorino Romano if using.

- Use an immersion blenderor counter top blender to carefully purée the soup, adding up to 1 more cup of chicken stock if it's thicker than you like. Cook over low heat until hot and check the seasonings (salt brings out the flavors, and you may need more if your stock isn't very salty). Serve, garnished as desired.