Recipe for Parsnip Soup

The parsnip is a very versatile vegetable. You can do a lot with parsnips. You can chop and steam them with carrots to make a really tasty veggie side dish. You can puree them with garlic butter. You can even make wine with them.

This week I chose to make parsnip soup. Since parsnips will grow just about anywhere and are not terribly hard to cultivate, the parsnip has been a prominent guest on British dinner tables for a long time.

I checked my old recipe books and then I checked with Jamie Oliver to see if things have changed over the years. Jamie's recipe is essentially the same as my grandmother's but I am sure his soup probably tastes a hundred times better than mine just because he is Jamie Oliver.

I actually modified the original recipe, took a couple of preparation hints from Mr Oliver and came up with a soup of which I am exceptionally proud. If you love parsnips too, give this one a try; it's not hard to make and your tastebuds will love you.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of white stock (I used pork stock, but chicken would do, maybe even fish but I don't recommend it)
• 3 cups milk
• 3 large parsnips
• 1 large onion
• Ginger, garlic, salt and pepper

Preparation

• Chop the onion and parsnips fairly coarsely and fry in a large pan, along with the seasonings, until they turn a light golden colour
• In a stock pot, mix the white stock and milk and bring to a gentle boil
• Add the lightly fried parsnips and onion to the stock pot and return to the boil
• Simmer for about 30 minutes until the parsnips are thoroughly tender
• Using a hand blender, puree any solid material in the stock pot and simmer for a few more minutes. Taste and add more seasoning if required.
  
• Serve in wide soup bowls and decorate with crushed almonds and chives or mint

John's Notes
I really enjoyed this soup; I mean really enjoyed it. My wife did too. Some day I would like to visit one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants and try his parsnip soup to see how mine measures up to the best.

By the way, here is a bonus side dish. Thinly slice another couple of parsnips and deep fry in some oil in a wok. Fried parsnip chips are a very tasty way to complement parsnip soup. Enjoy!