On a mission to not let any fresh food go to waste, I perused the depths of fridge this morning to identify those veggies which were approaching the end of their storage life. There lurked some sorry looking parsnips and carrots. What better way to use up some root veg than with a hearty soup? This recipe is quite decadent: it’s sweet and garlicky, smoky and rich. The high sugar content in the root veg means that they caramelise when roasted. These deep flavours mean you don’t need to use any stock with this soup.
Ingredients:
- 4 parsnips
- 3 small carrots
- 5 cloves garlic
- Fresh thyme
- Olive oil
- Butter, about 30g
- 700 ml boiling water
- Salt and peper
- 1 white onion
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Method:
Heat a good glug of olive oil in an oven at 150°C. Peel and chop the root vegetables. Add the vegetables with the whole cloves of garlic and some fresh thyme. Roast for about an hour, turning the veg once or twice. When ready (a nice golden brown indicates a good level of caramelisation), remove from the oven and remove any stalks from the thyme. Remove the roasted garlic from the skins and set aside. Melt the butter in a pan and add the onion, chopped. Allow to sweat then add the paprika. Give the paprika a minute or two to cook in the oil and the add the rest of the root veg and stir well. Add the water and bring to the boil. Allow to cook for about 10-15 minutes before blending to a purée.
Flavoured & Spiced 