I had this soup at an outdoor restaurant a couple of weeks ago and was trying to recreate it at home. Parsnips by themselves are not a fun root vegetable to eat. This soup makes it easy to enjoy the parsnip and feel good about drinking your vegetables.

The vegetables can be either roasted in a pan or sautéed in a pot (either method works.) I do like to keep a bunch of freezer friendly soups on hand for a quick WFH lunch with minimal effort. Even if I take out of the freezer, I can reheat the soup without babysitting and watching the pot while I continue with my work. In this version I added finely diced carrots and cucumbers, some sourdough croutons, and a teaspoon of parsley gremolata. Any pesto or chili oil or any flavored olive oil works just as well. Trader Joes chili onion crunch will pair very well with this soup.

Ingredients
Mild Medium Spicy  
2 2 2 tablespoon oil
3 5 8 cloves garlic
1 1 1 bulb fennel
  1/2 1 jalapeno
1 1 1/2 2 inch ginger
2 2 2 leeks, chopped
2 2 2 teaspoon salt
1 1 1 quart stock
1 1 1 stalk lemon grass or 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
  • Pre-heat oven to 420º Fahrenheit.
  • While the oven is heating, roughly chop the parsnips & fennel.  Peel the ginger and garlic.
  • Toss in a tablespoon of oil with salt roast in the oven for about 15 – 20 minutes. Let it cool completely.
  • While the vegetables are cooling, bruise the lemon grass with a knife until it releases a lemony aroma. Cut into one inch stalks and add to the cooled vegetables.
  • Once cooled, blend in a blender to desired smoothness. I like it exceptionally smooth, but if you like a coarser texture, stop blending before it is smooth.
  • Add to a pot large enough to hold the blended mix and a quart of vegetable stock.
  • Add the soup, water (or broth) and let come to a boil.
  • Serve with some chopped carrots, cucumbers, radish, and a few drops of chili oil.

ALTERNATIVES

Vegetable Onions Other Chilies
Parsnip Leeks Ginger Jalapenos
Zuchinni Shallots Galangal Habanero
Squash Ramps Garlic Black pepper
Beets Fennel Apples  
Notes
  • This soup can be made with any mix cruciferous and root vegetables. Red beets will turn the color of the soup to a bright red. Use the lighter colored beets if the red soup is not appealing.
  • I like ginger in everything, you do not have to use ginger at all.
  • Add one or half an apple to the vegetables while roasting. Apples will ad a bit of sweetness and reduce the sharpness of the parsnip.
  • Top with finely diced vegetables (avocado is always a good choice, but carrots, cucumbers, peppers work just as well.)
  • Pesto, gremolata, or any flavored oil are a great topping for the soup
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