Roasted Parsnip Soup

This Roasted Parsnip Soup really shows the potential of a simple root vegetable. Parsnips are one of those hidden gems in the produce department, you walk by them when you go for the carrots, but why not give them a try this time? I promise you won’t regret it. Their sweet, intense flavor makes for a delightful soup! In this parsnip soup recipe, we take the unique earthy flavor of parsnips and amp it up with the natural sweetness of carrots and leeks. I LOVE leeks for their mild onion flavor and always toss them in a soup if I have them on hand–they’re especially great if you can get some brown caramelization on them before braising or tossing them into soup. Hence, in the next section, we’ll talk about roasting veggies for soup to get a sweeter, deeper flavor.

Roast Your Veggies Before Making Soup

What makes this parsnip soup recipe so special is the roasting step. Anytime you have the option to roast your veggies before making stock or soup, you’ll get 10-fold the flavor. The caramelization and browning you get on the veggies deepens the flavor and brings out the natural sweetness. I would ask you to try this the next time you make one of your favorite soups and see if you can tell the difference. One of the most striking examples by far is tomato soup–the sweetness and depth of flavor you get from roasting them in the oven for 30-45 minutes is incomparable.

How to Make Parsnip Soup

Parsnip soup is super simple to make. All you need to do is roast the veggies in the oven for 35-40 minutes and blend with broth and white wine. Add in a little cream and simmer for about 5 minutes, and you have the perfect cold-weather soup! It’s smooth and creamy with an incredible depth of flavor achieved by the roasting. Perfect with a piece of crusty bread or garlicky croutons!

Add-Ons and Substitutions:

A Boost of Umami

If you want a little extra umami in your parsnip soup, a few shiitake mushrooms or pancetta go a long way. You can add them to the pan while roasting or you could fry the pancetta separately and add it to the top of the soup as a garnish. If you were slow cooking this soup, you could also add in a piece of parmesan rind, but I would save that for a time when you have something simmering for a few hours.

Parsnips & Celeriac

You could replace the celery with celeriac (celery root) if you have some on hand. It makes for a phenomenal soup all on its own but coupled with parsnips results in amazing complementary flavors. Celeriac has a texture similar to that of a turnip with a lovely mild celery flavor. Fun fact, the use of parsnips and celeriac run deep into culinary history, with celeriac even being mentioned in Homer’s The Odyssey in 800 BC.

A Buttery Finish

When the parsnip soup is ready, you can add a tablespoon of butter to smooth it out and add a boost of buttery flavor – super common for soups and sauces in restaurants.

More Winter Soups to Try:

Creamy Leek & Potato Soup

Barley Mushroom Soup with Sausage & Peppers

Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Pozole with Chicken)

Print Recipe

Roasted Parsnip Soup

Soup, Winter, Fall – European

By Katelyn Bailey – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour 5 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This Roasted Parsnip Soup is all you could want in a root vegetable soup! It's low effort but packs a delicious punch of caramelized veggie flavor. If you've never had parsnips before, hands down this is one of the best ways to try it.

Ingredients

• 1 lb or (~4-5 medium-sized parsnips)
• 1 large carrot
• 2 leeks
• 1 celery stalk
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 3 sprigs of rosemary (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-5 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 400F.

2

Wash, peel, and chop the parsnips and carrot into 1-inch pieces. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash well between the layers (sediment likes to hide there); but be careful not to peel them apart, you want the halves to be whole when you put them on the baking sheet. Last, chop the celery into 1-inch pieces as well.

3

Place your prepared veggies (parsnips, carrot, leeks, celery, and garlic cloves) onto a baking sheet with sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Salt generously and drizzle on 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil before tossing to coat.

4

Place the mixture into the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes or until you see brown edges.

5

At this point, you can add the roasted veggies (minus the herbs), 4 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 cup of white wine, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in the blender and blend until smooth.

6

Next, place a large pot over medium-low heat and add in the pureed veggies. Let this simmer on medium-low for about 10 minutes to cook out the alcohol in the wine. (Add more chicken stock if it's too thick).

7

Then add in the heavy cream and cook for another 15 minutes on medium-low, 30 minutes if you aren't in a rush.

8

Salt to taste and serve with a warm piece of delicious bread. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• 179 Calories
• 28.1g Carbohydrates
• 14mg Cholesterol
• 4.7g Fat
• 6.6g Fiber
• 2.9g Protein
• 2.5g Saturated fat
• 840mg Sodium
• 8.2g Sugar

Notes

Add a tablespoon of butter before serving for some extra smooth flavor!