Simple Parsnip Soup

Until recently, parsnips were one of those vegetables that I ate at Christmas but rarely any other time of the year. Now I buy a bag pretty much every week.

This simple but tasty soup is just comfort in a bowl. It’s thick, warming and creamy. Perfect for a cosy lunch or light dinner.

Parsnips are rich in fibre and vitamin C and have anti-inflammatory properties making them great for a skin-loving diet.

When I’m making this soup, I always slice and roast a couple of extra parsnips whilst I have the oven going anyway. I then store them in the fridge for an excellent snack dipped in a tablespoon of hummus or as a standby salad ingredient. You don’t have to reheat them, they taste really good cold.

Ingredients

6 parsnips
2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 litre stock
2 bay leaves

Serves 2 – 3

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

Cut the parsnips into even sized pieces. Coat in one tablespoon of olive oil and one teaspoon of cumin. Roast in the oven until the parsnips are soft. About 25 minutes.

Chop the onion and fry in the remaining olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric and coriander. Fry the spices for a couple of minutes. If you need to, add a dash of water to stop the spices from sticking too much to the pan.

Add the stock and the bay leaves and simmer for 10 minutes.

Once the parsnips are soft, add them to the stock, remove the bay leaves and blend.

Tip: this recipe makes for quite a thick soup, which I like with parsnips. Add more or less stock depending on how thick you like your soup. Just use the quantities above then, once blended, check the thickness. To thin it out simply add more stock then reheat.

Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is one of the best things you can do for your skin.