Ingredients
Parsnips are a fantastic vegetable from which to make a soup,
because of their natural sweetness when cooked. Add to this a touch
of ginger, a dash of lemon and some cream and you have the perfect
balance of flavours for a delicious, warming winter
dish.
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 4 medium parsnips, chopped
- 1x2.5cm (1in) piece ginger, roughly chopped
- 1.25l (40fl oz) chicken stock
- ½ lemon
- 100ml (3fl oz) cream
- 1tbsp chopped chives, to garnish
- Ready-made parsnip crisps, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, garlic, celery, parsnips and ginger, and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and add the lemon half. Bring to the boil and simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool a little. Remove the lemon, then purée the soup in batches in a food processor or with a hand-held blender.
- Stir through the cream and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Gently reheat the soup and stir in the chopped chives. Before serving, taste and add an extra squeeze of lemon, if desired. Serve garnished with parsnip crisps.
Top tips
Tip
If puréeing the soup with a food processor, it's a good idea to cool the soup a little beforehand. This means you'll avoid burning yourself if the lid comes off the blender while processing.
