Home > Make-ahead Christmas dinner recipes > Spiced parsnip and apple soup

Spiced parsnip and apple soup

Name: Spiced parsnip and apple soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 2 generously
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: ½ tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp coriander seeds; ¼ tsp green cardamom seeds (from 3-4 pods); 20g butter; 1½ tsp olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 350g young parsnips; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 2.5cm fresh ginger, finely grated; ½ tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp garam masala; 75g peeled and chopped bramley apple (about ½ medium-size apple); 600ml fresh vegetable stock; 1 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra to garnish; 1 tsp chopped chives to garnish

Published: 30 Nov 13
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Parsnip and apple are a marriage made in heaven, especially when combined in this soup recipe. A great festive starter or winter lunch.

Or, if you’re after something creamier and more decadent, then see this truffled parsnip soup.

Easy
December 2013

Test kitchen approved

Serves 2 generously
Takes 20 minutes to make, 1 hour to cook

Parsnip and apple are a marriage made in heaven, especially when combined in this soup recipe. A great festive starter or winter lunch.

Or, if you’re after something creamier and more decadent, then see this truffled parsnip soup.

Vegetarian recipes

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 143kcals
Fat: 8.5g (4g saturated)
Protein: 3.6g
Carbohydrates: 14g carbs (7.5g sugars)
Fibre: 6.3g
Salt: 0.1g

Save recipe

Save

Save recipe Print

Rate

Ingredients

½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp green cardamom seeds (from 3-4 pods)
20g butter
1½ tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
350g young parsnips
1 garlic clove, crushed
2.5cm fresh ginger, finely grated
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
75g peeled and chopped bramley apple (about ½ medium-size apple)
600ml fresh vegetable stock
1 tbsp crème fraîche, plus extra to garnish
1 tsp chopped chives to garnish

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

Heat a small, dry frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the cumin, coriander and cardamom seeds and shake them around for a few seconds until they toast and darken slightly. Tip into a spice grinder or pestle and mortar (or a coffee grinder used only for spices) and grind to a fine powder.
Heat the butter and oil in a medium-size pan. Add the onion, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Meanwhile, peel the parsnips and cut them into 2.5cm pieces.
Uncover the pan, add the garlic, grated ginger and all the spices, then cook for 1 minute more. Add the parsnips, chopped apple and stock, then bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the parsnips are really tender when you test them with a knife.

Remove soup from the heat and leave to cool slightly, then liquidise until smooth. Pour it through a sieve into a clean pan, using a wooden spoon to push it through. Season to taste.
To serve, stir in the crème fraîche. Serve in warm bowls, garnished with a little more crème fraîche and chopped chives.

Recipe from December 2013 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 143kcals
Fat: 8.5g (4g saturated)
Protein: 3.6g
Carbohydrates: 14g carbs (7.5g sugars)
Fibre: 6.3g
Salt: 0.1g

delicious. tips

Make the soup up to the end of step 4, up to 3 days in advance, then cover and chill. Continue from step 5 to serve.

Freeze the cooled soup for up to 3 months in sealed plastic boxes. Continue from step 5 to serve.