Whether or not you love parsnips, once you’ve tried this comforting, rich and creamy soup, you will! 
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? If you close your eyes, you might even be able to imagine the unbelievably delicious flavor.
Yes, this is another one of my recipes that I can’t help but talk up — because it’s that good, and I really want you to try it. Even if you’re a person who thinks they might not care for parsnips — this soup will change you!
And look at these baby parsnips!
They’re not only cute (yes, foods can be cute), but they’re more tender and a bit sweeter than the larger parsnips — and they’re perfect for making French fries!
Here’s an image of a regualr parsnip and a baby parsnip, to give you a little perspective on their size . . .
You can get them in the specialty section of most grocery stores or here from Melissa’s Produce.
Enjoy!
- 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 roughly chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg plus a bit more for garnish
- ½- pound Dutch Yellow potatoes washed, dried and roughly chopped
- 8 cups light vegetable stock the flavor should be mild
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and adjust a rack to the center.
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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.
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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 and once the oven has preheated to 500 degrees F, roast them 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 parsnips should all be golden brown. Set them aside, keeping them on the baking sheet.
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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.
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Add the nutmeg and and stir. Once the aroma has been released, add the potatoes and cook for just a couple of minutes.
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Now add the roasted parsnips to the pot (not the baby parsnips -- those are for garnish).
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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.
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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.
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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.)
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Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a super light dusting of ground nutmeg and a few of the baby parsnip fries.
I have cooked parsnips in so many ways except soup. Looking forward to tasting this recipe as it looks wonderful.
Thanks, Cathy. I’d love to know how you’ve cooked them. They’re new to my list of favorites. 🙂
Oh my, this looks so creamy and delicious. You’ve really captured the sweet, earthy essence of parsnips in this recipe. Yum!
Thanks so much, Nancy — and perfect for your plant-based diet. No cream, but still so creamy. 🙂
If a person likes carrots they’ll like parsnips. To me they’re carroty in more than just shape. GREG
I agree, Greg. Same earthy (root-y) quality. 😀
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.
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!
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!
It is often forgotten, isn’t it? Star or not, it sounds really yummy to add it to stews. xo
Love parsnips! And soup. Will have to put this one in the works.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
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
David, I hope you enjoy it. XO
Oh what gorgeousness is this, V?!
I have to make it this w/end!
Aww, thank you Colette! I hope you love it! xo