This parsnip and chestnut soup is a lovely seasonal soup which can be whipped up in under half an hour. Parsnips are cheap during the autumn and winter, and this is a great way to make them the star of the show.
Because parsnips are very sweet, it’s important to make sure you season the soup correctly and use a crisp, dry white wine in it. It also helps to serve it with deliciously savoury gruyere on toast.
This will warm you up wonderfully on a chilly evening.
Parsnip and Chestnut Soup – The Ingredients
- Butter – you could use olive or vegetable oil instead, but butter makes it deliciously rich.
- Leek – if you like, you can switch for a brown onion.
- Parsnips – for soups, I like to buy ‘wonky’ produce. It doesn’t matter what your parsnips look like, because they’ll be blitzed anyway.
- Chestnuts – either buy your chestnuts cooked and peeled (like I did), or prepare the chestnuts yourself – but be aware that this will add significant prep time!
- White wine – white wine helps to balance the sweetness of the parsnips, but if you can’t or don’t want to use it, sub with a little more stock.
- Vegetable stock – or 600ml water and a vegetable stock cube.
Top Tips
- Soup consistency
If you prefer, you can leave the soup chunky rather than blending it. If you want to do this, chop the parsnips and leeks more evenly.
- Get ahead
This soup is perfect for freezing. You can freeze for up to 3 months. Either microwave or cook on the hob when you’re ready to eat.
- More toppings
This soup is lovely topped with crispy onions or (if you’re not vegetarian) crispy bacon.
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Parsnip and Chestnut Soup
September 24, 2024Ingredients
- 25 g butter
- 1 leek
- 700 g parsnips
- 200 g cooked peeled chestnuts
- 1 glass white wine
- 600 ml vegetable stock
Instructions
- Roughly chop the leek and parsnips. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the vegetables – cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, then add all but one of the chestnuts.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the white wine. Allow this to reduce by half, before pouring in the vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the parsnip is soft.
- Whizz the soup up with a hand blender. If it’s too thick for your liking, add a little more vegetable stock or water until it reaches a consistency you like.
- Serve with grilled gruyere on toast. Grate the remaining chestnut over each bowl of soup before serving.
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