Winter is almost here, and all the root vegetables are in their seasonal prime. I firmly believe that eating seasonally is the way of balance and the way nature intended, and soups are a fantastic, warming way of benefiting from the nourishment provided by root vegetables. Some might say soups are a more appetising way to consume vegetables. Indeed, you can jazz them up with other ingredients, like with my curried parsnip soup!
This is a simple one-pot soup that is so easy to make. There is no need for the canned variety. This way, you can control what's in it and not worry about excessive salt and sugar. It's always much more fun being creative.
Parsnips are a member of the carrot family. Like carrots, they can be eaten cooked or raw. Their flavour is earthy but sweet, and cooking enhances their sweetness.
Health-wise, parsnips are a good source of fibre and low in calories.
With my curried parsnip soup, the mild curry powder gives this soup some bite and brings out the sweetness of the parsnips.
Parsnips are so creamy when cooked and pureed there is no need to add any cream or a thickening agent. I know that coconut milk is a popular addition to soup recipes. It will introduce another flavour level, so I'll leave it up to you if you want to add it.
The fresh curry leaves impart a wonderful fragrance and add colour, texture and flavour. If you want to know more about the curry leaf plant, I discuss it in my potato and greens salad with an Indian pickle dressing recipe. I'd highly recommend getting one of these plants for your window sill.
If parsnips are your thing, you might like to try my miso and maple roast parsnips recipe.
Ingredients
- Parsnips
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Olive oil
- Mild curry powder
- Vegetable stock
- Salt
- Bay leaf
- Peppercorns
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Prepare your ingredients:
- Roughly dice the onions and roughly chop the ginger and garlic.
- Peel the parsnips and top and tail them. Cut in half lengthwise and then slice them evenly and not too thinly (approx 0.5cm slices)
Heat the oil in a pot over medium/high heat. Add the bay leaf and peppercorns.
Immediately add the onions, garlic, ginger, and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are soft.
Add the parsnips and saute for 5 minutes or so.
Follow this with the curry powder and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock (using stock makes the soup more flavourful) or water.
Bring to a boil, then turn to medium heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until the parsnips are soft.
Set aside to cool, and then puree in a blender.
When ready to serve, heat up again.
To make the tadka. heat the oil in a small pan until it is hot.
Add the mustard seeds.
When they pop, turn down the heat and add the curry leaves.
Please give it a good mix. This will crisp up the curry leaves.
Serve garnished with the curry leaf and mustard tadka. This is optional but highly recommended
Storage
This curried parsnip soup freezes well so that you can batch cook, portion, and store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before use, and heat thoroughly before consuming.
Top Tips
If the soup is too thick, add some water or vegetable stock to thin it down.
Why not try to make your own vegetable stock?
If you don't have access to fresh curry leaves, it's better not to use dried curry leaves—perhaps it's best to alter the flavour a bit and use fresh coriander or dill.
FAQ's
Tadka is oil infused with cooked spices. Also, it refers to cooking spices in oil to enhance their flavour by releasing their essential oils. I recommend black or brown mustard seeds, as yellow mustard seeds don't work well because they may add bitterness. Be careful when the mustard seeds pop; they usually end up everywhere! The process of tadka is very quick, so have everything ready before you heat up the oil.
📖 Recipe
Curried Parsnip Soup
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Blender or Food processor
Ingredients
- 650 g Parsnip
- 120 g Red onion
- 15 g Garlic
- 5 g Ginger
- 1 Bay leaf
- 6 Peppercorns
- 2 teaspoon Mild curry powder
- 1 l Vegetable stock or water
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
Tadka garnish ( optional )
- 1 teaspoon Brown or black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 1 stem Fresh curry leaves
Instructions
- Roughly dice the onions and roughly chop up the ginger and garlic.
- Peel the parsnips and top and tail them. Cut in half lengthwise and then slice them evenly and not too thinly (approx 0.5cm slices)
- Heat the oil in a pot over a medium / high heat. Add the bay leaf and peppercorns.
- Immediately add the onions, garlic and ginger and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions are soft.
- Add the parsnips and saute for 5 minutes or so.
- Add the curry powder and saute for 3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock (using stock makes the soup more flavourful) or water.
- Bring to a boil, then turn to medium heat and cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the parsnips are soft.
- Set aside to cool, and then puree in a blender.
- When ready to serve, heat up again.
- Serve garnished with curry leaf and mustard tadka. This is optional, but highly recommended.
Tadka or garnish (optional)
- Heat the oil in a small pan until it is hot.
- Add the mustard seeds.
- The moment they pop, turn down the heat and add the curry leaves.
- Give it a good mix. This will crisp up the curry leaves.
- Add the garnish to the soup and serve hot.
Nutrition
NOTES
Food Safety
In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are top priorities, and from the beginning of my training, I practised good habits and routines. Of course, practising good food hygiene and safety at home is also essential. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen.
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
For more details regarding food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.
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