Curried Parsnip Soup

When the nights start drawing in it means it's soup season! This thick and creamy autumnal soup will warm your cockles after a long walk out in the elements.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

350g parsnips, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes

Pinch ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground garam masala

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garlic paste

Salt and pepper

¾ pint semi-skimmed milk

1 vegetable stock pot (I recommend stock pot over cubes for this) dissolved in ½ pint water

1 slice sourdough bread

Plain yoghurt

Method

Add the oil into a large saucepan and fry the onions until soft, then add the prepared parsnips. Cover the pan with a lid and sweat the veg on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes or so.

Add the nutmeg, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, garlic paste and seasoning. Stir so it coats the vegetables.

Gradually add the milk to the pan and then the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until the parsnip is soft.

Meanwhile, prepare the croutons by tearing up the sourdough and add to a mixing bowl with a good glug of olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss. Then transfer to a baking tray and cook in the oven for around 15 minutes at 180°C, or until golden and crunchy.

When the soup is ready, use a hand blender to liquidise the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a blender but you may want to do this in batches.

When smooth, reheat the soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with a swirl of plain yoghurt and top with the croutons.

Enjoy!