This Creamy Parsnip Soup recipe is a bowl of delicious, vegan comfort. Whether or not you like parsnips, you will love this, rich, luscious soup! 
I know that life is super busy and that it’s often hard to slow down, which is one of the many reasons I so appreciate you being here.
And now, if you can squeeze in just an extra moment for me — well, for this soup — take a good look at the image above.
Do you see the beautiful, light golden color? The creaminess? The richness?
Guess what? All of that rich and creamy deliciousness is vegan. No cream!
Even if you’re a person who thinks they might not care for parsnips — this soup will change you.
What do parsnips taste like?
- Related to carrots and parsley, you will taste notes of both in a parsnip.
- Parsnips are subtly sweet with an earthy, nut-like flavor.
What’s in Creamy Parsnip Soup?
- parsnips (baby and large)
- onion
- garlic
- nutmeg, salt, pepper
- Dutch yellow potatoes
- vegetable stock
Look at these baby parsnips . . .
Baby Parsnips
Baby parsnips are more tender and a bit sweeter than the larger parsnips — and they’re perfect for making French fries!
You can get baby parsnips in the specialty section of most grocery stores or here from Melissa’s Produce.
Here’s an image of a regular parsnip and a baby parsnip, to give you a little perspective on their size . . .
What puts this soup over the top?
The parsnips are caramelized!
How to Make Creamy Parsnip Soup
- Roast seasoned, roughly chopped, large parsnips in a very hot oven until they’re beautifully caramelized.
- Sauté the onions and garlic until they’re nicely caramelized also.
- Add nutmeg, potatoes, and the roasted parsnips to the onion mixture.
- Add the stock and cook until the potatoes are tender.
- Purée in a powerful blender until the mixture is as smooth as possible.
- Season generously to taste with salt, pepper and maybe a pinch or two of sugar.
- Slice and roast baby parsnips to make small French fries for the garnish.
- Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a super light dusting of ground nutmeg and a few of the baby parsnip fries.
More detailed instructions are below.
Recipe Tip
- The recipe calls for a light vegetable stock, that’s mild in flavor. If you’re using one that has a strong flavor, you can adjust it with water.
I hope you love this Creamy Parsnip Soup recipe as much as I do.
More creamy vegan soups:
- Vegan Coconut Spiced Carrot Soup
- Coconut Lemon Kohlrabi Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Basil Soup Recipe
- Vegan Asparagus Soup
Creamy Parsnip Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- olive oil for the pans
- 2½ pounds parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 to 5 baby parsnips, peeled and cut into fourths or sixths, lengthwise
- 1 cup yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon (plus a bit more for garnish) ground nutmeg
- ½ pound Dutch Yellow potatoes, washed and dried, roughly chopped
- 8 cups light vegetable stock (the flavor should be mild)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F and adjust a rack to the center.
- Generously coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Add the roughly chopped parsnips and mix them into the oil - dredging them through and coating both sides.
- Then do the same thing with the baby parsnip slices, keeping them all in one area, as you'll be removing them from the oven before the rest. Generously sprinkle all of the parsnips with salt and pepper.
- Once the oven has preheated to 500°F, roast the parsnips for approximately 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. The baby parsnip slices should be checked when you flip the rest -- they'll likely be ready to come out of the oven at this point. (Place them on a plate and set aside.) The rest of the parsnips should all be golden brown. Set them aside, keeping them on the baking sheet.
- Coat the bottom of a large soup pot with olive oil, place it over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- Add the nutmeg and and stir. Once the aroma has been released, add the potatoes and cook for just a couple of minutes.
- Now add the roasted parsnips to the pot (not the baby parsnips -- those are for garnish).
- Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- In two batches, pour the mixture into a very powerful blender and purée until it's as smooth as possible. It should be thick and creamy.
- Pour the puréed soup back into the pot and season generously to taste with salt, pepper and maybe a pinch or two of granulated sugar. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
- Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a super light dusting of ground nutmeg and a few of the baby parsnip fries.
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Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought says
I have cooked parsnips in so many ways except soup. Looking forward to tasting this recipe as it looks wonderful.
valentina says
Thanks, Cathy. I’d love to know how you’ve cooked them. They’re new to my list of favorites. 🙂
Nancy Rose Eisman says
Oh my, this looks so creamy and delicious. You’ve really captured the sweet, earthy essence of parsnips in this recipe. Yum!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Nancy — and perfect for your plant-based diet. No cream, but still so creamy. 🙂
Sippitysup says
If a person likes carrots they’ll like parsnips. To me they’re carroty in more than just shape. GREG
valentina says
I agree, Greg. Same earthy (root-y) quality. 😀
Lizthechef says
I love parsnips – and your recipe. Printing right now! I make soup almost every week for our low sodium diet and this one looks terrific. I doubt I can find baby parsnips but will make it work.
valentina says
I so hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Liz. It’s so rich and creamy — you won’t believe there’s no cream! 🙂 Thanks for checking it out!
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
My mom adored parsnips and added them to her soups and stews, but they never were the star of the meal. The creamy Parsnip Soup sounds exceptional and a great way to enjoy this often forgotten vegetable!
valentina says
It is often forgotten, isn’t it? Star or not, it sounds really yummy to add it to stews. xo
Because Yum says
Love parsnips! And soup. Will have to put this one in the works.
valentina says
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
Germaine says
Girl! Your recipes are amazing!! I’m trying as many as I can!! You have gained a new fan!
valentina says
Yay! Thank you so much, Germaine. You’ve made my day. Enjoy!
David says
I am a huge fan of parsnips. I can never understand why people dislike them! Don’t worry, I will be trying soup! xox, David
valentina says
David, I hope you enjoy it. XO
Coco says
Oh what gorgeousness is this, V?!
I have to make it this w/end!
valentina says
Aww, thank you Colette! I hope you love it! xo
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Valentina, this lovely soup looks so creamy and delicious! I definitely need to eat more parsnips!
valentina says
Thanks, Kelly! Hope you love it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa says
This looks creamy delicious, Valentina! Thank you for the explanation about baby and regular parsnips, I had no idea!
valentina says
Thanks, Marissa. I’d never seen a baby parsnip until Melissa’s Produce introduced me to them. Now I’m always on the lookout. 🙂 ~Valentina
Liz Berg says
I’ve eaten roasted parsnips and added them to my chicken soup, but I’ve never tasted a parsnip soup! It looks like a delicious way to warm up on a chilly day 🙂
valentina says
Yes! It’ll warm you right up. Thanks, Liz and enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Eha says
As a professional I run a mile away from all the unnecessary diets but absolutely love parsnips and am certain to make your soup ! Maybe even go the extra mile and make the parsnip chips as an extra 🙂 ! Want to look up your kohlrabi soup also – the beautiful vegetable is not always available here, but . . .
valentina says
Yay! I love that you love parsnips. I think they’re quite underrated over here. Enjoy and I hope you have a lovely weekend. 🙂 ~Valentina
Mimi says
I’ve never made an all parsnip soup. and it looks fabulous!
valentina says
Why thank you, Mimi. Hope you try and love it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Ron says
Valintine, your pastinakssoppa (parsnip soup) would sit nicely on a Scandanavian table. Parsnips are a much-appreciated root veggie over this way and we eat them many ways. Our parsnip soup most often has heavy cream in it and as I’m trying to reduce dairy this one sounds fantastic. We’re at the veggie market on the square tomorrow, so I’ll pick up some palsternacka. Heck, I might even toss in some parsley root as well.
valentina says
I hope it turns out great, Ron. I didn’t know parsnips were popular over there. Happy the soup will fit right on the Scandanavian table. Love it. Thanks so much for reading the recipe. 🙂 ~Valentina