Honey Roasted Parsnip Soup

Honey Roasted Parsnip Soup

Vegetarian or can be made Vegan / Gluten Free

Serves 6

Parsnips are beautiful as they have a unique floral scent and interesting flavour. When roasted with a drop of honey, they caramelise and intensify beautifully. Here we share our easy recipe for a gorgeous comforting meal, which can be served on a weekday as a healthy lunch or dinner, or as a delicious starter for an occasion meal.

Ingredients

1kg parsnips, peeled 

1 medium leek, peeled 

1 large onion, peeled 

2tbsp ghee or avocado oil

2tbsp honey (or maple syrup)

Salt & pepper 

A few sprigs of fresh thyme

750ml prepared vegetable stock

250ml milk of choice (unsweetened)

125g organic cream cheese (or vegan alternative)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Chop the parsnips into batons as shown. Cut the onion and leek into large chunks. Place the prepared veggies on a large baking tray lined with dampened baking parchment*. Drizzle with the oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper and use your hands to coat everything nicely. Add a few sprigs of thyme, place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Once roasted, remove any larger thyme stems keeping only the leaves (smaller stems are fine). Place the veggies in a high-speed blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Alternatively you can use a hand-held immersion blender. Pour the soup into a saucepan and heat as required. If desired, garnish with a few drops of cream, some black pepper and some extra thyme. Enjoy!

Notes

*Scrunch up the parchment paper, then place it under running tap water. Squeeze off any excess water, unfold and line the tray before adding the veg. By doing so you help the veg retain moisture during the roasting process and as an added bonus, it saves on washing up.

This makes a luscious thick and creamy soup. However if you prefer a thinner consistency, simply add more water and adjust the seasoning.

This soup will keep in the fridge for a few days and freezes really nicely too.