For years I could take or leave soup. But that was before I started to make my own and once I did, there was no going back. Now a tinned or cartoned soup just doesn't make it through the door. They just do not taste good to me. I make at least two soups a week and we have a cup of it with our lunchtime salads. I love all soups from a simple veggie broth to rich, filling lentil soups. I like them chunky but My Love isn't that keen so I have been known to halve the freshly made soup and blitz half. lol Things you do for love. The one thing I don't like in soup is milk or cream. And I experiment constantly with trying to achieve a creaminess in some of the soups I make.
One evening this week My Love came back from the supermarket wearing a huge smile, carrying a bag of bargains. Amongst these bargains were two large bags of parsnips. They were in perfect condition and had been reduced down from £1.50 per bag to 15p. Fantastic, eh? So I sat down with my pad and pen and started working through recipe ideas and this soup recipe was one of them. I wanted the richness of a parsnip soup that would usually be filled with cream and a depth of taste that didn't over power the lovely parsnips. And this is what I came up with...I hope you try it.
Rocket and Roses Lightly Spiced Parsnip Soup Serves 6
(Original Recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen)
1lb 5oz/600g Parsnips, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 pints of veggie stock
1 14oz tin of Haricot Beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp curry powder (of your choice)
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
In a large pan or soup pan, heat the oil and toss in the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the parsnips, stir until coated in the oil and saute for a further 4 minutes. Combine the curry powder and cumin in a small bowl and then stir into the onion and parsnips, saute for 2 minutes.
Pour in the veggie stock and stir thoroughly and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the parsnips are soft. Add the drained Haricot beans and stir them in. Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Season the soup to your taste.
Turn off the heat and with a stick blender or by placing the soup into a standard blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Re season and serve. This soup also freezes well. Enjoy!
