A bit about me.....

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Bothwell, South Lanarkshire, United Kingdom
Purveyor of fine soups and budget meals; creator of calm; killer of houseplants; failed gardener (but still insists on pursuing the art); champion whinger; partner to Richard and Mum to Ellis and Finlay. Very skilled at ironing, being the Tickle Monster, bringing up infant wind and colouring inside the lines.

Friday 23 January 2009

Seasonal Food Recipes Part 2 - Parsnips..the Devil's Own Vegetable

Parsnips. Personally, can't stand the little blighters. If I wasn't Pagan, I would truly believe them to be the vegetable of Satan. But they do make a very tasty, and very cheap soup which is even easier to make than the leek and potato soup. The huge bonus to this soup is that it doesn't actually taste of parsnips. Yeee-Haaa!


Curried Parsnip Soup

Ingredients to make 4 really satisfying portions, you'd easily serve 8 as a starter.
Safe to freeze

1 and a half lbs of parsnips - as locally produced as you can get (even most supermarkets can source these from not-to-far-away).


1 medium onion

1 tsp curry powder for a fairly mild soup (or to taste, I like it spicey so put about 3 tsp worth in)

1 tsp ground cumin (optional, not worth running up the shops for)

2 and a half pints of chicken or vegetable stock
Smidge of butter or oil for frying

- Finely chop the parsnip and onion, and fry for 2 minutes in a large pan
- Add the curry powder and cumin (if using) and fry for a further 3 mins, stirring well.
- Add the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for around 45 mins until veg is well cooked.
- Allow to cool slightly, transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth.
- Add a little salt and pepper if required. To make it a bit creamier tasting, just add a splash of milk as you are reheating it. When you reheat it, don't boil it as it will spoil the taste.

You can also make a nice spicy squash soup the same way - a tsp or so of smoked paprika added when you reheat it really helps to add some depth.

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