Hearty Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips
A hearty and warming winter soup with parsnips and fresh thyme.
This silky smooth, hearty parsnip soup is topped with crispy fried parsnip chips for texture and crunch.
I love growing parsnips in the garden because they’re such a welcome treat come winter.
In my shady garden, I have to sow my parsnip seeds in late spring if I want them in winter, so there’s a bit of planning ahead needed. It’s well worth it though for these sweet root veggies.
A simple but hearty parsnip soup is a great way to prepare parsnip, and it’s elevated with the addition of crispy parsnip chips. They’re addictively good.
Easy Parsnip Soup
The soup is very simple.
Onion and garlic are sautéed in olive oil, along with some fresh thyme. The parsnip is added and fried off, then topped with vegetable stock and a little nutmeg. It’s simmered until the parsnip is soft, then blended until silky smooth.
At this point, a slug of cream can be added to the soup, though that is entirely optional. Leaving the cream out means this is a vegan parsnip soup.
While the soup is simmering, the parsnip chips are made and they are just the best addition.
How to Make Parsnip Chips
The parsnip chips are made by peeling slivers off a large parsnip using a potato peeler. As many long slivers as possible. Any remaining parsnip core that you can’t peel when it gets too small, can be added to the soup.
Then the chips are fried in a saucepan filled with about 1cm of hot cooking oil.
Fry them in batches until crispy and golden brown, and let them drain well before sprinkling with a little salt and serving.
For more winter recipes check out this Fragrant Vegetable Pho or this Cauliflower Satay Noodle Salad.
Hearty Parsnip Soup with Parsnip Chips
Silky smooth parsnip soup topped with crispy parsnip chips.
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large brown onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 450g parsnips, scrubbed and cubed
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley and heavy cream to serve
Parsnip Chips
- 1 large parsnip
- Olive oil, to fill a frying pan 1 cm deep
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and the onions. Cook the onions for 5 minutes until they start to become translucent.
- Add in the garlic and the fresh thyme and saute for a few minutes more before adding in the parsnip cubes and cooking for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour over the vegetable stock and add the nutmeg.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, simmer for 15 or so minutes until the parsnip is completely soft.
- Whilst the soup is simmering, use a potato peeler to peel slivers off a large parsnip. As many long slivers as possible.
- Place a shallow fry pan on the stove and pour in 1 cm worth of oil. Heat the pan over high heat.
- Let the oil heat up, but don't take your eyes off it as this will happen quickly. Test it is hot enough by dropping it in a small sliver of parsnip. It should sizzle and fry straight away.
- Fry the parsnip chips in multiple batches as they will cool the oil down, and it needs to get back up to temperature as quickly as possible. Fry them until crispy and golden brown, and let them drain well before sprinkling with a little salt.
- Once the parsnip in the soup is soft, blitz the soup until smooth and silky. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot, topped with fresh parsley, a drizzle of cream, and parsnip chips.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 10mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
