Creamy Parsnip Soup Recipe {Vegan, Gluten-Free} (2024)

FAQs

How do you make parsnip soup less bitter? ›

I recommend peeling parsnips before adding them to recipes like this parsnip soup. If you don't peel them, you'll likely be adding a bitter taste to the soup. Why is my parsnip soup bitter? If you leave the peels on the parsnip, it can cause your soup to taste bitter.

Once this does happen, you can tone down the sweetness by adding spices like cumin, nutmeg or lemon juice. Deviate from the recipe to reduce sweetness. Instead of adding 4 parsnip to the recipe, reduce the number of parsnip by half. Be open to alternative ideas for recipes.

Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling – just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.

Cooking instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

However, if parsnips have been allowed to grow too big or remain too long in storage, they tend to get woodier and bitter. Thus, it is recommended that larger parsnips be peeled and that the “woody” core in the middle be cut out before preparing.

Sweetness can help balance bitterness, so consider adding ingredients like carrots, onions, or a small amount of sugar or honey. Acidic ingredients like tomatoes or a splash of vinegar can also help balance flavors.

Parsnips are a starchy root vegetable and running them through the food processor too long or at too high of a speed can cause the starches to congeal. I recommend pulsing the parsnips with additional coconut milk or water to prevent an undesirable gummy texture.

Did you know that parsnips are primarily harvested in winter because they taste better when the weather is cold? Once parsnips experience frost, they becomes sweeter and tastier. Stored starches in the parsnip are broken down and converted to sugar, which is why they have that delicious sweetness.

Why are my parsnips soft? ›

Whether it's celery, radishes, carrots, or parsnips, crunchy veggies like these go limp due to dehydration.

If a raw parsnip becomes soft and squishy, this is a sign of rot and it should no longer be eaten.

For those who don't know, PARSNIP refers to taboo issues that shouldn't be addressed in the classroom, namely: politics, alcohol, religion, sex, narcotics, –isms, and… pork. This has been a somewhat flexible rule in the industry, in the classroom, and in materials for a long time.

Remember, once you peel them, you'd have to cook them–or the parsnips will start to discolour. If you're cooking with old, large parsnips, you should also discard any very fibrous centres that you find, as those might be bitter and unpleasant to eat.

Tip into a large roasting tray, dot over the butter and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, toss to coat and arrange in a single layer, then roast for 1 hour.

Celery, carrot, and onion are the base vegetables for most preparations of this kind. That's because when you gently fry them in extra virgin olive oil, they become a tasty flavor base for your soup, adding depth of flavor.

Cook the parsnips in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a roasting tin and place in the oven for 5 minutes to get hot.

You can keep leftovers of Curried Parsnip Soup in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.