Something to blow your socks off and warm you up during the winter months. The combination of curried spices and parsnip is a classic because the two naturally balance one another. Cooked parsnips are overtly sweet (as are the apples I include) and the heat from the spices and chilli oil with a soothing drizzle of single cream counteracts that to create something deeply satisfying.
To elevate the soup’s sense of je ne sais quoi, I have added a salted parsnip crisp garnish to vary the texture and well… because they taste amazing.
Serves: 4-6
Time: ~30 Minutes
Information - What you require
Ingredients
• Parsnips (600g)
• Two red apples
• One medium white onion
• One lemon
• Chicken stock (1 Litre)
• Three garlic cloves
• Single Cream (25ml)
• Five cardamom pods
• One bay leaf
• Fennel seeds (1/2 tsp)
• Ground ginger (1/2 tsp)
• Ground coriander (3/4 tsp)
• Ground turmeric (3/4 tsp)
• Ground cumin (3/4 tsp)
• Chilli oil1 (See footnote) and/or chilli flakes
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Ground black pepper & salt
Optional Ingredients & Notes
• Stock: You may use vegetable stock as a replacement for chicken stock if you want to make this dish vegetarian or simply prefer the taste.
• Apples: It’s best to use something red-skinned, and ideally sweet and crisp. I use Pink Ladies in this recipe, but suitable substitute varieties include; the Jazz apple, Honeycrisp apple or Fuji apple. If you struggle to find those, a Golden Delicious or Royal Gala apple will suffice.
• Chilli Oil: I think this is something everyone should prepare and have lying around the kitchen. Please see my footnotes for how to prepare it. If you don’t have chilli oil, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of chilli flakes during the garnish stage will be a suitable replacement.
• Parsnip Crisps: They require an extra bit of ‘faff’ to make, but I promise you that they elevate the soup enough to make the additional work worth the time. They look great but more importantly, they taste superb and vary the texture.
Equipment
• One large pot
• Hand blender
• Pestle & Mortar
Mise En Place - Food preparation
Squeeze the juice out of one lemon to create between 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Finely slice your garlic cloves. Peel and dice your onion. Peel and cube your apples. Peel and cube your parsnips, and leave aside a handful of thin slices of parsnip to form your crisp garnish.
Grind your fennel seeds into a powder and add to a bowl alongside your ground ginger, coriander, turmeric, cumin, bay leaf, and cardamom pods.
Cooking Process
First, lay your parsnip chips into an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper, and apply extra virgin olive oil with a generous seasoning of ground black pepper and salt. You will cook these in the oven at 180°C (~355°F), turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and crisp. Once ready, remove from the oven and set aside. This may take anywhere from 15-20 minutes.
Whilst the chips cook, add ~2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large cooking pot and bring to a reasonable heat. Once hot, add your diced onions and cook for ~8 minutes, stirring them to avoid burning. Add the apples, parsnips, garlic and spices (this includes bay leaves and cardamom pods) and mix them together well. Cook for a further 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Add in your stock, bring to a boil, and then simmer for ~20 minutes until the vegetables become soft.
After simmering, remove your bay leaf and cardamom pods (they should float to the top), add lemon juice, and blend until smooth. Once blended, taste the soup and season to taste. It is likely that it needs a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. To serve, garnish with ground black pepper, your parsnip chips, and a drizzle of chilli oil and single cream.
If you do attempt this dish, please let me know how it goes, and if you variate the recipe in any way. Also, this newsletter relies upon word of mouth, so if you feel you know someone who would enjoy this publication please share it.
Thanks for reading,
Conor
Chilli oil, in my opinion, is a must-have garnish for every kitchen. It goes well on salads, pizza, pasta, and soups, making for an exciting alternative to a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. To make, buy 500ml of quality extra virgin oil, gently heat inside a pan (no bubbling) and add in ~75 to 100g of chilli flakes and stir. If you have red wine vinegar, a tablespoon of that would be a welcome addition too. After stirring the chilli flakes for a minute or so, decant the chilli oil into a jar to cool down, and voilà you have some chilli oil. The longer it is stored, the richer the flavour and heat will become.