Dr Mobeus
Curried Parsnip Soup
Parsnips are one of the cheapest vegetables in the shops from September onwards, and they turn beautifully sweet when cooked. Blended with a little curry powder they make a silky soup that tastes far more expensive than it is – around 38p a portion.
The trick with this soup is cooking the curry powder in the oil for a minute before adding the liquid. That one step transforms it from bland to properly flavoured. A potato adds creaminess without any cream, keeping the cost and calories down. It also freezes well, so double the batch and stash half.
Curried Parsnip Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft but not browned.
- Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. This blooms the spice and gives the soup much better flavour.
- Add the parsnips and potato. Stir to coat everything in the spiced oil.
- Pour in the stock, add the salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer.
- Cook for 20 minutes until the parsnip is completely soft when pressed with a spoon.
- Blend the soup until completely smooth, either with a hand blender in the pan or in a food processor. Take care with hot liquid.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve with bread.
Tips and Variations
Parsnips are at their cheapest and sweetest from November to February, especially after the first frost. A splash of milk at the end makes it creamier for pennies. If you prefer more heat, swap the mild curry powder for hot, or grate in some fresh ginger with the onion. The soup freezes for up to 3 months – freeze it flat in bags so it defrosts fast. A spoonful of yoghurt on top makes it look like a deli soup.
