I should be ashamed of myself. I haven’t given any love to parsnips since we moved to Oregon. That my friends is unacceptable. Afterall, I have parsnips to thank for my awesome biceps!
That would be my farm friend Ellen and I harvesting hundreds of pounds of parsnips. We worked tirelessly harvesting on a particularly chilly autumn morning. That specific day has had lasting effects on both of us. Repetitively lifting heavy crates of this lovely root can really do a number on a couple of ladies. Unfortunately, our lower backs have never been the same. Butttt we both have awesome biceps as a result (Or at least we like to think)!
Beautiful parsnips.
This recipe came to me while I strolled the isles of a local grocery store. I stopped dead in my tracts when I saw beautiful parsnips staring me in the face. It felt like we were strangers. I knew it had been too long since I cooked up one of my favorite roots. It was time to change that.
Taylor and I have both been feeling a little run down, so I though a healthy soup was just what the doctor ordered. And guess what? Taylor proclaimed this soup his favorite! It’s vegan (shhhh)! and full of good for you ingredients. I think this might be my new favorite soup as well.
Creamy Roasted Parsnip Soup (serves 4)
4 large parsnips, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 Yukon gold potatoes (or any potato of your choice) chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 6 big chunks
4-6 large cloves of garlic, left in wrappers (I like garlic so I used 6)
1 tbs olive oil
5 cups of veggie stock
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your spice tolerance)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400.
Toss all the chopped veggies (including garlic) together with the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Place on an oiled baking sheet (or two) and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, tossing veggies once halfway through.
Once veggies are roasted remove from the oven. Squeeze garlic from its wrapper. Add garlic and the rest of the veggies to a large soup pot. Add the broth and red chili flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low. With an immersion blender (or regular blender) puree the soup. Taste test to see if anything is missing. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Enjoy!
What a fine & easy recipe, Thanks! I plan to make it this week.
Andrea – Would you like to write a few posts to educate us on how farmers plan & prepare for spring? What is your winter cover crop, and why plant a winter crop? How does it survive the cold? How do you decide what to plant this spring? How do you figure out how much to plant, and how are you organizing the layout of your fields? How much seed do you need for a season? Will you plant mulitiple times this spring & summer, or just once in the spring? Is Tumbleweed Farms an organic farm? How do you protect against pests?
Others may have lots more questions, but this is just one way of starting the conversation.
But hey, I know that you and Taylor work hard, so if these questions are too time-consuming, I understand. It’s just very interesting to learn how a new farm gets established. Best wishes!
I totally agree. Love your recipes, but I’d love love love to hear about your farming planning and endeavors. Thanks!
I adore parsnips! Have you ever tried parsnip fries? Definitely my new fav. This soups looks like the perfect comfort food.
I love parsnip fries!!!
Look at you! I’m very impressed, can’t get any closer to your food than that 🙂 Beautiful soup, too!
this soup looks great- I never have a clue what to do with parsnips! hope you’re feeling better!
I love parsnips! Can’t wait to try it in soup!!!
Beautiful parsnips indeed! What a great & tasty appetizing thicker soup! I love it!
A few posts ago, I made home-made spiced curry parsnips & smoked tofu burgers, I know that you will love them too! They are even vegan! http://sophiesfoodiefiles.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/vegan-spiced-parsnip-burgers/
Hmm, great idea. I’ve roasted parsnips, sautee’d in butter, mashed in with potatoes, but never made a soup. It’s a great time for parsnips in the midwest now that we’ve had a few good freezes. They just keep getting sweeter and sweeter!