A creamy and flavorful vegetable soup is perfect alongside a sandwich or salad for lunch, or on its own on a cold day.
Parsnip Soup

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, chopped or ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 cups chopped parsnips (1 pound)
1 cup peeled and cubed potato
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon margarine or butter
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, salt and pepper; cook for1 minute.
- Stir in the parsnips, potato, broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until the parsnips and potatoes are soft.
- Stir in the margarine or butter and let the soup sit uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Puree the soup in batches in a blender, using the manufacturer's directions for pureeing hot liquids.
- Heat the soup before serving, stirring in water if it seems too thick.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Make this soup your own with more seasoning. Start with 2 to 3 teaspoons ginger, curry powder, smoked paprika, cumin or thyme.
- Try using sunchokes for some or all of the parsnips.
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Comments
I have made this soup a few times since coming upon parsnips at the market this fall. First couple of times I added 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger and 1 Tablespoon curry powder with the garlic and enjoyed that. Last time I used 2 teaspoons cumin and 1 teaspoon thyme; it was also quite good. I think this is a pretty versatile 'starter' soup that you can make your own. I made mine thinner than what the photo seems to show but that's another place for customizing the recipe. Thanks Food Hero!