Oh so good! Again so easy to make, I’m embarrassed to give you the recipe! I didn’t always like the taste of parsnips (but probably because I’ve only ever had them boiled) until Chef School that is. Then I learned they could be pureed, roasted, pan fried etc. You could add cream or just stock for this soup – but keep it healthy and just use stock, trust me – an abundance of great taste with the richness of a pureed soup. If desired, add about 1/2 cup of 35% cream just before serving. Either way – oh so good!
Other than the parsnips, you should have most of these ingredients in your pantry. If you don’t, it’s okay, pick them up when you pick up the parsnips. I used Madras Curry Powder – the hot kind, about 3.5 tbsp for 4 lbs of parsnips. I knew my family liked it spicy so I could have added more but then they wouldn’t be able to taste the parsnips. It took all the restraint I had to not add more or some cayenne to this.
I used vegetable and chicken stock to make this soup. The parsnips were boiled in water first until they were soft – about 40 minutes save the water, don’t drain it – it’s got this great parsnip flavor – simplified vegetable stock right! I didn’t use any carrots or celery as I didn’t want to dilute the parsnip taste. I did use onions as they make for a flavorful base – lightly sautéed only. I wanted the soup smooth with no lumps and while I could have used an immersion blender, I just waited for it to cool down, and then used my processor.
I served this soup on Christmas Day as the first course. Garnished with some barely toasted baguette slices (painted with olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne – toasted at 350f for 5 minutes) that I spread some habanero jam on top of. You can use any type you like – my wife picked up some of this habanero/pomegranate jam at a country market as a stocking-stuffer. I also drizzled some crème fraiche on top and finally some finely sliced fried leeks. You can do this any way you like, but do give this a try. I was fortunate enough to have the help of my kids, nieces/nephews – assembly line style. I ladled the soup, one put the jammy toasts on top, the next drizzled the crème fraiche using a squeeze bottle, while the last one piled on the leeks – the runners delivered the soup to the table – precision personified. Remarkably simple to make and great taste! As always – enjoy! This served 20 people with some left over.
4 lbs. parsnips – washed and scrubbed, then roughly chopped
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
3.5 tbsp. hot Madras curry powder – or use a mild curry powder if you like
3 liters stock – chicken or vegetable – your choice
2 tbsp. salted Churn 84
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Place the chopped parsnips in a large pot with enough water to cover by two inches
Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the parsnips are fork tender, 35 – 45 minutes – let cool
Once cooled, add to your processor in batches and puree to your likeness – store this in a bowl large enough to hold the pureed parsnips
To the empty parsnip pot over medium-high heat, add the Churn 84 and some olive oil and the onions
Sauté the onions until translucent – reduce the heat to low
Add the Madras curry powder and sauté for about 30 seconds to 1 minute – take care to ensure the curry powder does not burn
Add the pureed parsnips and stir
Add the stock – up to 2 liters first, then add more until you get the desired consistency
Add salt and pepper to taste
Variations:
– Dice up 2 granny smith apples and saute them with the onions – follow balance of directions
– Add Greek yogurt to the soup to add more body (it doesn’t need it, but lends nice texture)
– Add 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
