Parsnip soup recipe

Parsnip soup is a deliciously fragrant lunch or dinner recipe to keep you feeling full and cosy throughout the colder months. We love this parsnip soup recipes because it balances the sweetness of the parsnips with tangy apples for a clean finish in the mouth. Served up with chunks of crusty bread spread with lots of butter this is a real crowd pleaser. Also, because it takes just 20 minutes to get into the pot and bubbling away you can make a big bulk batch of it and have it as lunches for the rest of the week.

Ingredients

• 30g (1oz) butter
• 1 onion, peeled and sliced
• 650-700g (1lb 7oz-1lb 9oz) parsnips, peeled and sliced
• 1 large cooking apple (about 300g/10oz), peeled and sliced
• 1.25 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock
• About 24 sage leaves
• 142ml pot single cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 small slices brown bread

Method

1. Put the butter, onion, parsnips and apple in a large pan. Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in stock, add 4 sage leaves. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, until the parsnip is soft enough
3. Take sage leaves out. Spoon the soup mixture into a blender or food processor and whizz.
4. Pour the soup back into the pan and reheat gently with the cream. Check the seasoning.
5. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small frying pan. Add a few sage leaves at a time, let them sizzle, then remove with tongs and drain them on kitchen paper. Quickly fry the bread in the sage-flavoured oil. Drain the croûtes on kitchen paper.
6. Ladle the parsnip soup into bowls, place 2 croûtes on top, garnish with a few sage leaves and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.