At a Glance: Parsnip Soup Essentials

• 🍲 Recipe Name: Creamy Parsnip Soup with Coriander and Cream
• ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
• 🔥 Cook Time: 1 hour
• 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Servings: 6
• ⚡ Calories: ~279 kcal per serving (approximate)
• 🥄 Main Ingredients: Fresh parsnips, aromatic ground coriander and cumin, earthy turmeric, a touch of chili, rich cream, and tangy Greek yogurt.
• 😋 Taste Profile: Silky smooth, naturally sweet from parsnips, and gently spiced with warm, aromatic notes.
• 🧾 Allergens: Contains milk (from cream and yogurt). This recipe is naturally free from gluten, eggs, soy, nuts, peanuts, sesame, celery, mustard, sulfites, crustaceans, and fish.
• 💚 Why You’ll Love It: A deeply comforting and incredibly flavorful soup, crafted with readily available, simple ingredients. It’s a delightful way to enjoy parsnips!
• 🍴 Difficulty: Easy – A straightforward one-pot recipe with minimal fuss.

The Delightful World of Parsnips and a Curry-Spiced Twist

My culinary journey with parsnips began unexpectedly, years ago, when a local vegetable box delivered these pale, carrot-like roots to my kitchen. Initially, I was puzzled: what culinary magic could I work with these? But curiosity led me to roast them, and the result was nothing short of a revelation. Parsnips, I discovered, possess a unique charm. They are remarkably smooth in texture, offer a subtle nutty undertone, and carry a gentle sweetness that’s more profound and earthy than their orange counterparts, carrots. This initial encounter turned into a lasting appreciation for this underrated root vegetable.

This particular soup recipe, a cherished favorite in my home, draws its inspiration from the elegant simplicity found in Sarah Raven’s Seasonal Food cookbook. It’s a recipe that celebrates the natural sweetness of parsnips while elevating it with a thoughtful selection of warming spices. As the parsnips and onions slowly simmer in the pot, the kitchen fills with the enchanting aroma of coriander and cumin, a scent that promises warmth and comfort. The addition of cream creates an irresistibly velvety texture, while a final swirl of Greek yogurt on top adds a welcome tangy contrast and a beautiful presentation. Serve this luxurious soup with a side of crusty artisan bread, perfect for dipping, or perhaps some homemade croutons for added crunch. The outcome is a truly cozy and satisfying meal, a comforting embrace that feels just right on a brisk autumn or winter afternoon.

Beyond their delightful taste, parsnips are also a nutritional powerhouse. Rich in fiber, vitamins C and K, and various minerals like folate and potassium, they contribute to a healthy diet. This soup isn’t just delicious; it’s also packed with goodness, making it an excellent choice for a wholesome and satisfying meal.

Gathering Your Ingredients for the Perfect Parsnip Soup

Crafting this flavorful soup requires a handful of fresh ingredients and pantry staples. You’ll find the precise measurements detailed in the comprehensive recipe card further down this page.

• Parsnips: These are the undeniable stars of our soup! When cooked, they become beautifully sweet, incredibly soft, and develop a lovely nutty depth. For a slight variation or if parsnips are hard to find, you can experiment with carrots or sweet potatoes, though the flavor profile will shift. Look for firm, unblemished parsnips.
• Onion: A foundational ingredient, onion provides a mild sweetness and essential aromatic depth to the soup base. If you prefer a milder, more delicate flavor, shallots make an excellent alternative.
• Butter and Oil: The combination of butter and a neutral vegetable oil creates a rich flavor base and helps the vegetables to soften gently without excessive browning. This prevents any bitter notes from developing and ensures a pale, creamy soup. For a lighter, dairy-free version, simply use olive oil or another plant-based oil exclusively.
• Ground Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric & Chili Powder: This quartet of spices is what gives the soup its characteristic warmth and gentle aromatic complexity. Ground coriander offers a citrusy, slightly sweet note; cumin provides an earthy, robust flavor; turmeric contributes a beautiful golden hue and subtle peppery undertone, alongside its well-known anti-inflammatory benefits; and chili powder adds a hint of heat. Feel free to adjust the amount of chili powder to suit your preference for spice.
• Vegetable Stock: Essential for building the body and fundamental flavor of the soup. A good quality vegetable stock will truly make this soup shine. While store-bought stock is convenient, you can also use homemade chicken stock for a richer, more savory profile if you don’t mind it not being vegetarian.
• Milk & Cream: These dairy components are crucial for achieving the signature velvety smooth and luxurious texture of the soup. Heavy cream adds richness, while milk helps to thin it to the perfect consistency. For a delicious dairy-free alternative, coconut milk and coconut cream can be used to create an equally creamy and flavorful soup, offering a slightly different, exotic twist.
• Greek Yogurt: Used primarily as a garnish, a dollop of Greek yogurt adds a delightful tang and a cooling contrast to the warm spices. Sour cream or even a plant-based coconut yogurt can serve as excellent alternatives.
• Fresh Coriander Leaves: Also widely known as cilantro, these fresh herbs are sprinkled on top just before serving, providing a burst of vibrant color and a fresh, herbaceous counterpoint to the rich soup. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, flat-leaf parsley or fresh chives are fantastic substitutes that offer a similar visual appeal and fresh flavor.

Step-by-Step: Preparing Your Creamy Parsnip Soup

Creating this delicious parsnip soup is a straightforward process, broken down into a few simple steps. For the complete, detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. Prepare the Base: Begin by melting the butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over a low to medium heat. Once melted and shimmering, add your finely chopped onion and cubed parsnips. Sauté these vegetables gently for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The goal here is to soften them without allowing them to brown, preserving the light color and sweet flavor of the soup.
2. Infuse with Spices: Next, stir in the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This brief cooking period allows the spices to “bloom” in the hot oil, intensifying their aromatic compounds and releasing their full, fragrant potential into the vegetables. Be careful not to burn them.
3. Simmer to Perfection & Blend: Pour the vegetable stock into the pot. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the parsnips are fork-tender and easily mashable. Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion hand blender directly in the pot to blend the soup until it’s perfectly smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a stand blender (venting the lid to allow steam to escape) and blend until smooth, then return it to the pot.
4. Finish and Serve: Stir in the milk and heavy cream until well combined. Season the soup generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Gently reheat the soup over low heat, being careful not to let it boil, which can cause the cream to separate. Ladle the warm, velvety soup into bowls. For a beautiful finish, garnish each serving with a generous swirl of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh coriander leaves. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Expert Tips for the Best Parsnip Soup

• Even Peeling Matters: Ensure you peel your parsnips evenly and cut them into uniformly sized pieces. This allows them to cook at the same rate, resulting in a consistent texture throughout the soup.
• Avoid Browning Onions: When sautéing the onions, keep the heat low and cook them until they are translucent and soft, but not browned. Browning can introduce unwanted color and a slightly bitter flavor, which would detract from the soup’s delicate pale hue and sweet taste.
• Spice It Up: If you enjoy a bit more heat, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper added along with the other spices can provide an extra kick without overpowering the other flavors.
• Easy Blending: For the quickest cleanup and easiest process, an immersion hand blender is your best friend. It allows you to blend the soup directly in the pot, saving you from transferring hot liquids.
• Perfect Pairings: This soup is wonderful on its own, but it truly shines when served with crusty bread for dipping or a handful of homemade golden croutons for added texture and crunch.

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Parsnip Soup With Coriander And Cream

Andréa

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