Get Parsnippity!

That’s right! Parsnips are awesome! Flavorful and comforting in their many forms, parsnips are underused in the American diet. I recently came into a windfall of parsnips and decided to make good use of them (in soup, of course!).

I located a good parsnip soup recipe (Parsnip Soup from Tea & Sympathy by Anita Naughton) but ended up changing it quite a bit to make it pop! What’s flavor for if not to fully experience all food has to offer?!

Gather up:

1 large potato (I swear by Yukon Golds), chopped

¼ cup (aka half a stick) of unsalted butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 med celeriac (aka celery root, looks like a human heart made out of roots!)

6 large parnsips, peeled and chopped

6 cups veggie stock (I used Better Than Boullion, Mushroom base)

3 bay leaves

a block of good, sharp cheese (I used a cheddar/gruyere mix)

Eyeballing it:

sea salt, to taste

fresh ground pepper , to taste

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Do it!

1)      Melt butter in large pot and add chopped onion and celery root and sauté until onion is soft (it’s ok it celery root is a bit firm). This is your base.

2)      Add potatoes, parsnips, stock and bay leaves and simmer for about 40 minutes or until veggies are soft.

3)      Season to taste! The original recipe only called for sea salt/pepper but I felt this was way too bland. My friend Bekah (who kindly let me experiment with this soup in her kitchen), suggested the addition of the nutmeg, which warms the soup nicely and the nutritional yeast, which thickens the soup a bit and gives it a nice cheesy tang. You can also add cayenne or other more savory herbs/spices. Play with your palate and see what floats your boat!

4)      Top with Rosemary Batard (or similar yummy, crusty bread) and crumbles of sharp/salty cheese.

Rating: A comforting soup whose punch depends on you. Be adventurous!

Taste: 3-4

Easy-o-meter: You could do it in your sleep.
Time: 1.5 hours (from chop to chops!)