SPICY ROASTED PARSNIP SOUP

Introduction & method

Despite its name, this soup is not chilli-hot - the spiciness is down to flavour. It's a delicious and unusual soup.

Make the stock

You can use a stock cube or two, but making your own gives a much better flavour. Wash all of your vegetables, trim off any unpleasant-looking bits, and cut them all into coarse chunks. Place in a big saucepan with enough water to generously cover them. Add the herbs and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for an hour.

Roast the soup vegetables

Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F). Mix the spices in the oil. Top, tail and peel the parsnips, and cut into 1cm (half inch) dice. Peel and chop the onion, and cut each tomato into eight pieces. Add all the vegetables to a bowl and pour the oil and spices over them. Stir to ensure they are all coated, and spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven to roast for half an hour.

Finish the stock

Drain the liquid into another pan, add the seaweed, and boil rapidly to reduce down to about half the volume. Strain the stock through a double layer of cheesecloth and taste for seasoning. It will probably need about a teaspoon of salt.

Assemble the soup

Remove the seaweed from the stock. Put the roasted vegetables into a blender with half of the stock, and whizz until smooth. Pour into a pan with the remainder of the stock and bring to the boil.

Serve with some crusty bread and a few cumin seeds to garnish.

The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Spicy Roasted Parsnip Soup on YouTube.

Print This Recipe

Ingredients & Info

STOCK
•  1 medium onion
•  1 swede
•  2 sticks celery
•  2 carrots
•  2 leeks
•  1 chunk white cabbage
•  1 tsp parsley
•  1 tsp rosemary
•  1 tsp thyme
•  1 tsp black peppercorns
•   ROASTED VEGETABLES
•  500 grams parsnip
•  1 medium onion
•  2 tomatoes
•  1 tsp coriander (cilantro) seeds
•  1 tsp cumin seeds
•  1 tsp black mustard seeds
•  1 tsp fennel seeds
•  1 bay leaf
•  2 tbsp olive oil

PLUS
A piece of kombu (seaweed) to enhance the flavour of the stock.

Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes.
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes.

Watch the video on YouTube