This Creamy Parsnip Soup is a bowl of vegan comfort. It will definitely turn you into a parsnip fan. Subtly sweet, rich and creamy, this soup easy to make and utterly delicious.
Do you see the beautiful, light golden color of this parsnip soup!? The creaminess!? The richness!?
Guess what? No cream!
Even if you're a person who thinks they might not care for parsnips -- this soup will turn you.
The magic in the flavor of this soup comes from roasting the parsnips before adding them. It brings all of the natural sugars to the surface and caramelizes to perfection.
The Ingredients
- parsnips (baby and large) - Parsnips look more or less like cream-colored carrots. Choose those that are firm and without splits in the skin.
- onions - Choose onions that are heavy for their size without bruising.
- garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and likely bitter. Raw garlic cloves should be firm without any dark spots. (Pro tip: if there are green shoots in your garlic cloves, slice them in half, lengthwise, and remove the green root with the tip of a knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
- nutmeg
- Dutch yellow potatoes - When selecting any potato variety, look for those that are firm, smooth and free of sprouts.
- vegetable stock - Preferably low-sodium.
- salt
- black pepper - Preferably freshly ground.
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
Substitutions
- Dutch yellow potatoes. Yukon Gold or Russets are good substitutes for the Dutch Yellow potatoes.
- Vegetable stock. If keeping the soup vegetarian/vegan isn't important to you, you can substitute with chicken stock.
- Nutmeg. The nutmeg can be substituted with ground cloves or ground cinnamon.
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- You can get baby parsnips in the specialty section of most grocery stores and if you don't see them, you can cut the larger parsnips into small sticks.
- I love using the baby parsnips for the "French fry" garnish, but if you're pressed for time, you can skip it.
How to Make Creamy Parsnip Soup
- Preheat the oven to 475°F and adjust a rack to the center.
- Lina a sheet pan with parchment paper and generously coat it 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 475°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.
- Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a super light dusting of ground nutmeg and a few of the baby parsnip fries.
What do parsnips taste like?
- Related to carrots and parsley, you parsnips are a bit sweeter and earthier.
- Parsnips are subtly sweet with an earthy, nut-like flavor.
- They become even sweeter when they're roasted.
Baby Parsnips vs. Big Parsnips
Baby parsnips are more tender and a bit sweeter than the larger parsnips -- and they're perfect for making French fries!
More Must-Try Creamy Vegan Soups
- Coconut Spiced Carrot Soup
- Coconut Lemon Kohlrabi Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Basil Soup Recipe
- Vegan Asparagus Soup
I hope you love this Creamy Parsnip Soup recipe as much as my family and I do.
Creamy Parsnip Soup Recipe
Equipment
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 475°F and adjust a rack to the center.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and generously coat it 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 475°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.
NUTRITION
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Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought
I have cooked parsnips in so many ways except soup. Looking forward to tasting this recipe as it looks wonderful.
valentina
Thanks, Cathy. I'd love to know how you've cooked them. They're new to my list of favorites. 🙂
Nancy Rose Eisman
Oh my, this looks so creamy and delicious. You've really captured the sweet, earthy essence of parsnips in this recipe. Yum!
valentina
Thanks so much, Nancy -- and perfect for your plant-based diet. No cream, but still so creamy. 🙂
Sippitysup
If a person likes carrots they'll like parsnips. To me they're carroty in more than just shape. GREG
valentina
I agree, Greg. Same earthy (root-y) quality. 😀
Lizthechef
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
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
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
It is often forgotten, isn't it? Star or not, it sounds really yummy to add it to stews. xo
Because Yum
Love parsnips! And soup. Will have to put this one in the works.
valentina
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
Germaine
Girl! Your recipes are amazing!! I’m trying as many as I can!! You have gained a new fan!
valentina
Yay! Thank you so much, Germaine. You've made my day. Enjoy!
David
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
David, I hope you enjoy it. XO
Coco
Oh what gorgeousness is this, V?!
I have to make it this w/end!
valentina
Aww, thank you Colette! I hope you love it! xo
Kelly | Foodtasia
Valentina, this lovely soup looks so creamy and delicious! I definitely need to eat more parsnips!
valentina
Thanks, Kelly! Hope you love it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
This looks creamy delicious, Valentina! Thank you for the explanation about baby and regular parsnips, I had no idea!
valentina
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
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
Yes! It'll warm you right up. Thanks, Liz and enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Eha
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
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
I’ve never made an all parsnip soup. and it looks fabulous!
valentina
Why thank you, Mimi. Hope you try and love it. 🙂 ~Valentina
Ron
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
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