Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 59: Recipe - Curried Parsnip Soup

 

I love making soup - as I may have mentioned before. It's such a versatile dish - and a great way of using up leftovers or gluts of homegrown veggies**. One of my favourite soup recipes for this time of year is Curried Parsnip Soup. Creamy, spicy, warming, soothing - it's everything you could want from a Winter recipe. Root vegetables are grounding, connected to the deep slow pulse of the Earth. In this recipe they compliment and contrast with the subtle fire energy of the spices.

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 59

Recipe - Curried Parsnip Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil

knob of butter

1 onion

1 tsp turmeric*

pinch of asafoetida*

1 tsp medium curry powder*

2-3 parsnips, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 medium, potato peeled and chopped

vegetable stock

½ tsp garam masala*

single cream

fresh coriander leaves

Method

Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a saucepan, add the chopped onion and fry gently for a few minutes until softened and translucent. 

Stir in the turmeric, asafoetida and curry powder, then add the chopped parsnip, carrot and potato. 

Pour over enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables, and bring to the boil. 

Stir well and reduce to a simmer until the vegetables are soft. 

Blend until smooth with a stick blender or in a food processor. 

Return to the heat and stir in the garam masala and single cream. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve, sprinkled with a garnish of chopped coriander leaves.

 * Make this soup as mild or spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of spices to suit your own tastes. 

** My other soup recipes can be found via these links:

• Pumpkin Soup
• Nettle Soup
• Sunshine Soup 
• Tomato Soup (adaptation of the Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe)