Spiced Parsnip & Cauliflower Soup with Honeyed Parsnip Topping
Autumn in Cape Town is a mix bag of loveliness and cold weather charm. I love the warm weather snap we are having at the moment but it is a little confusing if you are cooking seasonally.
Non the less, I can eat soup everyday!
It is organic parsnip season in Cape Town and to me, a bunch of snow white ‘carrots’ feels somehow very British and it is in London where I subsequently started cooking with them for the first time. Along with the parsnips I also received the most beautiful small organic cauliflowers which I love as I can find the enormous supermarket ones quite intimidating. Do cook and eat the leaves, they are delicious.
Cooking Tips:
- I blend my own mild curry spice and used it all for this recipe.
- Pink peppercorns will be a pretty addition to the soup.
How much stock to add?
Depending on the size of your veggies, aim for about 800g all together but you can adjust the stock if you have less or more veggies. (800g = 1,5litre stock). As a rule I always go less stock and add stock at the end if I find the soup is too thick rather than too much stock and end up with a too thin soup, no one loves a thin soup.
Spiced Parsnip & Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 2 small cauliflowers or one large one, cut into florets
- 1 large bunch parsnips peeled & cut into medium chunks (keeping two parsnips aside if making the topping)
- 6 tablespoons curry powder
- lots of olive oil
- 2 onions finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves finely sliced
- 4 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
- 1,5 or 2 litres vegetable stock warmed
- 400 g tin chickpeas drained and rubbed
- salt & pepper
- opt curry leaves or coriander to garnish
Parsnip & Honey Topping
- 2 large parsnips peeled and sliced into 1cm slices lengthways or across
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180c
- In two large baking trays, add the cauliflower to one tray and the parsnip to another. Add 2 tablespoons curry powder to each tray, salt, pepper and drizzle enough olive oil over the trays to coat the veggies. With your hands rub the spices all over the veggies. Roast in the oven until the veggies are soft and starting to caramelise.
- Meanwhile add the onion, garlic and ginger to a saucepan and cook on a gentle heat, covered until the onions are soft, stirring occasionally. Once soft add 1 tablespoon of curry powder and stir until fragrant. Add the soft cauliflower and parsnips along with the hot stock, judging if you need more stock or less. The stock level should cover the veggies with about one thumbs length (5-8cm). Cook for about 10 minutes, taste and season and then blend the soup until smooth.
- For the chickpeas you have two options here, either add the chickpeas, 1 tablespoon curry powder, olive oil, salt and pepper to a baking tray and bake until crispy, about 15 minutes OR add a good drizzle to a non-stick frying pan, add the chickpeas, curry powder, salt & pepper and cook until well coated and starting to crisp. Please watch out as chickpeas explode and you don’t want turmeric on your favourite top! Best to cover if using a pan. the oven works best for crispy but I like the convenience of the pan.
- If you are making the honeyed parsnips, add the pumpkin seeds, honey, olive oil, salt, pepper and parsnip slices to a small baking tray, mix well with you hands and roast until the seeds are crispy and the parsnip is starting to caramelise.
- If you are lucky enough to get your hands on some curry leaves, add the leaves to hot oil for a few seconds, drain and keep aside.
- To serve, ladle the soup in warmed bowls, top with chickpeas, roasted parsnips, seeds and herbs if using. Enjoy!