Dad’s Parsnip Soup
My Dad’s easy parsnip soup is my all time favourite!
My Dad’s soup game is deliciously on point, and I feel it would be wrong, nay, CRIMINAL to keep this recipe to myself. Disclaimer: I use the word “recipe” loosely, as Dad is more of a pinch-of-this, splash-of-that kind of man, but I’ve done my best to pin down this little bowl of nirvana for you. Dad is a man of many talents (cyclist extroadinaire, trivia maven, and baby-comedien to name a few), and I always insist he makes this for me when we visit each other. Lets talk about why its so scrummy:
Tomato Paste: This balances out sweet earthiness of the root veg, and gives everything a little zip. I find this lightness a refreshing change from the usual creamy or curried parsnip soups.
Peppercorns: Dad will roughly grind up some black peppercorns and toss them liberally into the pot, so you get this crazy delicious combination of sweet-earthy-nutty-tang and then POW pepper! Sometimes he puts whole peppercorns in… but thats up to you 🙂
Restorative Comfort: What better way to cure yourself from the excesses of the season than a lovely bowl of wholesome parsnip soup? This is so wholesome and good for you, and the perfect antidote to all of those rich desserts and cocktails we allow ourselves over the holidays. This is guaranteed to put the goodness back in!
Enjoy!
- t tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 leek
- 4 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2-3 cups vegetable stock* see notes
- fresh peppercorns to taste, roughly ground
- salt to taste
- Heat olive in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion and leek, and saute for about 5 minutes until soft and golden
- Add the parsnips, tomato paste and stock, and bring the pot to a steady simmer
- Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the parsnips are tender and falling apart, then remove from the heat and use a hand blender to achieve your desired soup consistency. I like to keep a few chunks in mine for texture. If you don't have a hand blender, you can use a regular blender or even a potato masher. If your soup looks a little thick, splash in some more stock
- Season to taste with salt and some freshly ground peppercorns
- Pour into bowls and enjoy!
Notes
The amount of stock you want to use will depend on the size of your parsnips and how thick you like your soup! I like to start conservatively with 2 cups, and then splash in more at the end if its looking a little thick.
This tastes amazing with a swirl of plain yoghurt
This soup freezes very well, so I like to make a big batch and store it for lazy days!
I have to ask. Does baby-comedian mean a young comedian or does he make infants wriggle with glee? GREG
GOOD QUESTION! Deffo the latter 🙂
That soup looks like the perfect dish to curl up with on a cold night. Thanks to your dad for coming up with it!
Well, props to your dad for making such a healthy soup! My dad makes one soup, potato soup, and it’s delicious. 🙂
Dad soups are the best!!
Beautiful! I love parsnip soups!!
And big up for your dad, my dad can’t even make a sandwich 😀
ahh, the best recipes are the ones that parents make and you cannot properly nail down. sad, but true! i really have only used parsnips to make parsnip pancakes (so yummy), so i’m glad i’ve found another use for them! sounds so good!
I haven’t cooked with parsnips before simply because I didn’t know how to make them! So glad I found this recipe 🙂
Yay! Me too! The are so underrated!
Love simple, healthy soups like this, Emma – a perfect recipe for the start of the new year. The addition of the coarsely ground black pepper for a bit of zing sounds great too.
Thanks Geraldine!
Fame at last! This soup is so quick and easy to make, but really tasty – especially with some crusty bed. Don’t spare the peppercorns!!
Thanks Pops!