Parsnip, Potato and Chilli Soup

Prep Time: 0:20

Cook Time: 0:35

Serves: 4

Ingredients / Shopping List

50g butter

1 tblsp cooking oil

1 kg parsnips

1 onion

1 potato

1 birds eye chilli

3 bay leaves

1 stem of fresh thyme

2 litres water

Prep to Cook: Large soup pan lid, long handled stirring spoon, peeler, vegetable knife, chopping board, measuring jug

Prep: Peel the parsnips and cut into half

Cut the halves into 4 strips

Peel the onion and cut into half

Slice each half with veg knife from shoot to root about 8 – 10 thin slices

Put the cooking oil and butter into the large stock pan and melt it

Put onion and parsnips into the soup pan and fry off for up to 12 minutes

Peel the potato and dice and add to the soup pan continue to cook for 5 more mins

Add thyme, 3 bay leaves and the whole birds’ eye chilli

Stir well

Add 1 – 2 litre of water to cover all the vegetables well

Put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes

Process the soup: remember to remove the bay leaves, chilli and thyme before you blend

Adjust the thickness by adding more stock if it is too thick

Serve with garlic croutons

Check it out!

A good January omen: If you are on a budget, make soup, if it is cold, make soup, if you are hungry, make soup. All in all I cannot suggest any other more satisfying way to eat well, feel well and make your money last.

This soup is made from cheap, tasty root vegetables that can be bought and stored until you feel like cooking.

Recipe Science

Cooks Know How: Soup makes vegetable eating easy. The parsnips soften fairly quickly as they cook and also because of the starch in them they sweeten as they fry. Because of this it is essential to take time and fry gently at the start of the soup making, particularly with parsnips, onions and potatoes. The resulting soup will have good flavour that can be enhanced by the herb thyme, bay leaves and some seasoning with salt and pepper. The whole chilli adds heat and spice enough to make the soup warming. Once the vegetables are soft the processor can be used to make it a puree soup. I like to use a stick blender or hand-held blender in the pan and stir it around until the puree forms. This soup retains a beautiful pale white colour that makes it look wonderful when served with strands of watercress that also pick up a peppery flavour.