We’re having friends over for dinner this weekend to watch one of my favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus.
Since I wanted to keep the dinner simple and warm and delicious, I chose a Creamy Parsnip Soup. I’ll serve it with Sourdough, Rosemary, Pumpkin, & Cranberry Bread along with a simple green salad. And there will be wine. If I have time, I’ll also make my favorite Pumpkin Pudding. This pudding is easy to make and easy to carry to the outdoor fire pit after the movie ends. I hope you all have a great weekend!
Creamy Parsnip Soup
Ingredients
- Olive oil for the pans
- 2 1/2 lbs parsnips peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
- 5 baby parsnips peeled and cut into sixths lengthwise (for parsnip fries to eat with the soup)
- 1 cup chopped sweet onions
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 lb baby yellow potatoes washed, dried, and chopped
- 8 cups chicken broth
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- extra nutmeg for garnish
- 1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 500℉. Adjust a rack in the center of the oven. Coat a baking sheet with the olive oil.
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Layer the chopped parsnips on the baking sheet and stir them in the oil until they are all coated. Add the baby parsnip slices to the sheet, coat them with oil, but keep them separate from the parsnip chunks. Sprinkle all the parsnips with salt and black pepper, to taste.
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Roast the parsnips for 15 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 15 minutes. If the baby parsnips finish sooner, remove them. Make sure the rest of the parsnips don't burn. They should be tender and golden brown when you remove them from the oven. Cool on a baking rack and set aside.
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Coat the bottom of a large stockpot with olive oil. Heat it over medium-high heat and add the onions. Saute the onions for 15-20 minutes, until nicely caramelized. About 5 minutes before the onions are done, add in the garlic but don't let it burn. Stir in the nutmeg and cook for another 5 minutes.
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Stir in the chopped roasted parsnips (leave baby slices aside for garnish). Add the chicken broth and potatoes and bring to boil. Then lower the temp to a simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.
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Cover the pot and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Turn off the heat and blend the soup with an immersion blender until it's silky and smooth. If it's too thick, add more broth.
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Return the pot to the heat and reheat slowly over low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the taste seems too "woody", then add a teaspoon of sugar to the soup to cut the earthiness of the parsnips.
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Serve soup in bowls with a light drizzle of olive oil on top and a dash of nutmeg. And add a few of the baby parsnip fries. Maybe even add some roasted sunflower seeds on top of the soup for a bit of crunch.
