The winter soup worth making while parsnips are at their absolute best

Parsnips don’t always get the attention they deserve. They sit quietly in the vegetable section looking unremarkable, and a lot of people walk straight past them. This is a mistake.

In season right now, parsnips are at their sweetest and most flavourful – and this soup is the best possible way to showcase them. The key is roasting rather than boiling. Twenty minutes in a hot oven caramelises the parsnips’ natural sugars and transforms them into something nutty, golden and deeply complex. The soup that follows is silky, warming and exactly what a cold evening calls for.

The crispy parsnip chips on top are optional but highly recommended. They take five minutes and turn a simple bowl into something you’d happily serve at a dinner party.

Roasted Parsnip Soup

Servings 4

Ingredients

800 grams parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons ground coriander
1 pinch pinch of nutmeg
1 litre good quality chicken or vegetable stock
100 millilitres thickened cream, plus extra to serve
1 lemon, juiced
1 small parsnip, peeled into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler (for chips)
1 tablespoons neutral oil for frying chips
1 pinch salt and white pepper to season

Method

1 Roast the parsnips: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spread 800 grams parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks, 1 brown onion, roughly chopped and 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled (unpeeled) across a large roasting tray. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the parsnips are golden, caramelised and tender.

2 Make the parsnip chips: While the parsnips roast, make the crispy chips. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 1 small parsnip, peeled into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler (for chips) into long thin ribbons. Pat completely dry with paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoons neutral oil for frying chipsin a small frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the ribbons in batches for 1–2 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel and season immediately with salt. Set aside.

3 Prepare the roasted garlic: Remove the roasting tray from the oven. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins directly into the tray – they will be soft, sweet and jammy. Discard the papery skins.

4 Build the soup: Transfer the roasted parsnips, onion and garlic to a large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoons ground coriander and 1 pinch pinch of nutmeg and stir over medium heat for 11 minutes until fragrant. Pour in 1 litre good quality chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.

5 Blend until silky: Remove from heat. Use a stick blender to blitz the soup until completely smooth and silky – this will take a good 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, blend in batches in a stand blender, being very careful with the hot liquid. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, add a little extra stock or water.

6 Finish with cream and lemon: Return the soup to low heat. Stir in 100 millilitres thickened cream, plus extra to serve and a good squeeze of 1 lemon, juiced. Taste and adjust seasoning — parsnip soup needs more salt than you expect, and the lemon lifts the whole thing. Reheat gently without boiling.

7 Serve: Ladle into warm bowls. Swirl a little extra cream on top if you like, scatter over the parsnip chips and finish with a crack of white pepper and a small pinch of nutmeg. Serve with warm crusty bread.

NOTES

Why roast rather than boil? Roasting the parsnips caramelises their natural sugars and gives the soup a nutty, complex sweetness that simply simmering in stock cannot replicate. It takes an extra 30 minutes but the difference is significant.

Parsnip chips: These are optional but worth the effort – they add crunch, visual appeal and extra parsnip flavour. Pat the ribbons completely dry before frying or they will spit.

Make it vegetarian: Simply use a good quality vegetable stock. The soup is naturally vegetarian and the depth of flavour from the roasted parsnips means you won’t miss the chicken stock.

Make ahead: This soup keeps beautifully in the fridge for 4 days and freezes well for up to 3 months. Reheat gently and add a splash of stock or water if it has thickened.

Spice variations: A teaspoon of curry powder instead of cumin and coriander gives a lovely gentle warmth. A pinch of smoked paprika stirred through at the end adds a wonderful smokiness.

Apple twist: Add one peeled, cored and roughly chopped Granny Smith apple to the roasting tray with the parsnips. It adds a beautiful tart sweetness that cuts through the richness.