For a holiday dinner, a bowl of soup is always a good idea as the first course. That’s why I decided to share my recipe for apple parsnip soup. It’s a great opener to a meal, and a delight as part of a holiday meal.
Apple parsnip soup is a subtle soup with lots of texture which rates high on the comfort factor. A small bowl is all you need to serve to open up your guests’ appetites, which should get them a little excited and ready for everything else you have on the menu.
I’m so glad my mother is visiting right now, because I can share what I cook with her. If she likes it, she’ll give it a rave review, but if she doesn’t, she will immediately tell you what she thinks it needs.
I thought this apple parsnip soup would benefit from adding some almonds for crunch, but my mother insisted that the nutmeg I added was all it needed. I agree with her now, the freshly grated nutmeg rounds out this soup wonderfully.
Soups are easy to make, all you have to do is conquer one recipe with a few ingredients. Once you’ve done that you should be able to experiment and find your way to making new and interesting soups.
If you’re a novice in the kitchen and want to try one of my recipes, this is the one. The ingredients are piled into one pan, cooked on a medium heat and then zapped in a blender. Finally it is finished off in the pan to get the right texture and flavor. It took me minutes to make.
Apple Parsnip Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup shallots minced
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 4 large parsnips peeled and cut into 2" pieces
- 1 large granny smith peeled, cored and diced
- 5 cups unsalted chicken stock
- Kosher salt to taste
- Nutmeg to serve
Equipment & Utensils
- Large saucepan with cover
- Grater or microplane
- Blender
Instructions
- Melt butter in saucepan, then add shallots and garlic.
- Sauté shallots and garlic until flavors release then add celery.
- Sauté to mix ingredients up then add parsnips and apple.
- Sauté again then add three cups of chicken stock.
- Stir to mix then cover and allow to cook - approx. 10-15 mins.
- Once parsnips are soft and almost breaking apart, transfer ingredients in saucepan to blender.
- Blend on high setting for 30-45 minutes, then return contents of blender to saucepan.
- Place saucepan on medium heat then add remaining two cups of chicken stock.
- Stir vigorously then add salt to taste.
- Be careful not to over salt.
- Serve in small bowls and garnish with nutmeg - ideally freshly grated rather than ground.
