Yes, it’s a beige soup. But beige doesn’t mean bland. Parsnips, caramelised onions and the warming earthiness of cumin make for a silky smooth and flavourful soup.
I’m going to The Food Show tomorrow! Eep. So excited.
And here is a warming soup recipe for you, a perfect weekend lunch. Having this for your lunch will almost make up for not being there.
Who am I kidding, no it won’t! But it is delicious and nutritious. Parsnip is high in vitamin C, and cannellini beans add protein and fibre. Simple and satisfying.
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 onions sliced
- 4 parsnips peeled and chopped into roughly even sized chunks
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 can of cannellini beans drained
- 1 litre of vegetable stock
- A small bunch of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of your choosing, optional)
- Juice of half a lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add onions and cook slowly for 15-20 minutes until very well caramelised, this will add a deeper flavour to your soup. Don't be put off by the time it takes, you can put the onions on and just give them a stir every now and then while you get the other stuff out of the cupboard and peel your parsnips.
- Add parsnips, cumin seeds, garlic, cannellini beans, stock, thyme and bay leaves. I tied about 10 small sprigs of thyme together with some kitchen string so they'd be easy to remove from the soup later. Much easier than the fiddly task of removing all those tiny leaves from their stalks.
- Bring everything to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until the parsnip is very soft.
- Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves and discard.
- Puree the soup using a jug or stick blender (be careful, it's hot!), and return to the pan. Add almond or other milk if you choose - this helps give a creamy texture and flavour. Add water to adjust consistency, and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Top with a bit of rocket, coriander or parsley, serve with some garlic bread or a crusty sourdough and enjoy.
Tried this recipe?Mention @quitegoodfood or tag #quitegoodfood!
Perfect for a cloudy winter day for lunch. Think I may need to go buy some more parsnips – of course I only have two!
Do you think I could use butter beans instead of cannellini beans? Trying to avoid multiple supermarket trips!
Yes definitely! they’ll blend in just fine