Curried parsnip soup
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 6–8
This delicious creamy curried parsnip soup is accompanied by homemade vegetable chips. They give a lovely crunch when sprinkled over the soup and make it look a bit fancy.
For this recipe you will need a food processor or blender.
By James Martin
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, thickly sliced
- 1kg/2lb 2oz parsnips, peeled, trimmed and cut into chunks
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1–2 tsp hot curry powder
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1.5 litres/2½ pints chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 450ml/16fl oz double cream
For the vegetable chips (optional)
To serve (optional)
- 250ml/9fl oz double cream
- ½ lemon, juice only
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Place all the soup ingredients with the exception of the stock and cream into a roasting tin. Mix well and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 25–30 minutes, until golden and tender.
Place all but 250ml/9fl oz of the chicken stock into a saucepan over a high heat. Add the cream and, once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer.
Add the roasted parsnips and continue to simmer.
Pour the remaining stock into the roasting tin and place over a high heat. Stir well, scraping at the browned bits on the base of the roasting tray to release all of the flavour, then add this sauce to the simmering soup.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then transfer into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Meanwhile, for the vegetable chips, preheat a deep-fat fryer to 190C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Using a potato peeler, peel long strips of each of the vegetables. Carefully add the vegetable strips into the oil and fry until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
To serve, put the cream in a bowl and whip lightly until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Add the lemon juice and fold into the cream.
Serve the soup in warmed bowls with a dollop of cream in the centre and a small pile of vegetable crisps placed over the top.
Recipe tips
The soup can be frozen or kept in the fridge for a few days. The root vegetable crisps should be stored separately and reheated in the oven just before serving.
If you are short of time you can buy mixed root vegetable crisps from most large supermarkets.
To ensure the soup is gluten-free, check that the stock you use doesn't contain gluten.
Be careful not to heat the soup too vigorously after adding the cream as rapid boiling can cause cream to split. (If your cream does split the soup is still safe to eat, it will be just be a bit grainy instead of silky smooth.)
