Parsnip Pear Soup
How you know you’re a grown-up, part 2: on a Friday night you review the Scholastic book catalog (why are there Star Wars video games in there, by the way? I don’t recall video games ever being part of the curriculum, or I’d have been a far keener elementary school student) and scrub the toilet, and eat parsnip soup.
Jocelyn shared this recipe for me, knowing, as we were members of the same CSA farm, that I had a glut of parsnips in the fridge. She made it and said it was the best soup she’s had in a long time. I’m all over that.
Parsnip Pear Soup
AuthorJulie
In your soup pot set over medium-high heat, heat a drizzle of oil and spoonful of butter and saute the onion and celery for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the pear and curry and cook a few more minutes.
Add the stock, parsnips, potato, bay leaf, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook until the parsnips are very tender. Puree with a hand held immersion blender (or transfer in batches to your blender) until smooth, adding the cream or evaporated milk at some point.
Ingredients
Directions
In your soup pot set over medium-high heat, heat a drizzle of oil and spoonful of butter and saute the onion and celery for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the pear and curry and cook a few more minutes.
Add the stock, parsnips, potato, bay leaf, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer and cook until the parsnips are very tender. Puree with a hand held immersion blender (or transfer in batches to your blender) until smooth, adding the cream or evaporated milk at some point.
I’m sorry to say I need to take a bit of a hiatus from our Free Stuff Fridays – I seem to be spending a lot of resources these days (time + money) buying stuff and shipping/delivering it, which I totally don’t mind, but my less than stellar time management skills (coupled with Canada Post) have meant people aren’t receiving their stuff as speedily as I/they’d like, and so I’ve wound up disappointing people. Which is a) the worst feeling ever, and b) exactly the opposite of the whole point. I’ll have stuff again soon, I just have some catching up to do.
I still love comments.
Yes, yes, this is a great soup. I’ve also seen a version which included carrots, called Gypsy Soup.
Try parsnips cut in thick coins and browned crusty on each side in butter/olive oil, then dusted with curry powder.
This is a great soup and would be very nice with a bigger style Oregon Pinot Gris and perhaps a small piece of seared chinook. (Willakenzie or King Estate)
The soup sounds yummy and I have pears in a bowl on my counter…
Oddly, I woke up thinking of the churpumple and how it didn’t occur to me before now that it is like the amazing maid of heart tarts my grandmother used to make. She would put her pastry into tart shells, fill with jam made from fruit from her orchard and top it off with white cake batter, bake and ice. My favourites as a child…..
Wow, sounds lovely! And very timely – I’ve got me some parsnips to use up.
Cheryl – the maid of heart tarts sound like one of my childhood favourites. I’d forgotten all about them, so thanks for the reminder!
We had soup last night, too.
I made Pasta e Fagoli (spelling ?) from my “Full of Beans” Cookbook. with cornmeal muffins from my old Purity flour cookbook. I seem to be cooking with beans a lot – Can’t wait for your book.
I think you’d have to hold me down to eat parsnips…but that just means more for the rest of you! Enjoy!
I am on call and had to leave the house before I had a chance to have dinner, so it was Tim Hortons chili to the rescue while I was on the road.
I love parsnips.
I know maid of heart tarts as Maids of Honour, but I think that’s a Yorkshire thing.
Sorry, make that cherpumple!
this sounds great; i’m sure the pear brings out parsnips’ natural sweetness. i can’t help but picture this with some crispy pancetta on top!
i’m with you Ellen. pancetta would be lovely. bacon makes everything taste wonderful.
CH delievered this delicious soup for us last night as we arrived home from Tom Baker and Chemo Round Two. Delicious! Comfort food at the highest level.
I make a similar soup with apples instead of pears. But I’m sure that pears are just as scrumptious. And celeriac instead of parsnips is also quire lovely…
mmmm!
Julie,
Don’t tell me winners of your Free Stuff Friday prizes complained? About late arrival of their FREE STUFF? Please don’t let that bother you and I’m glad you’re taking a break from it.
The soup recipe looks great but I’m wondering…..are parsnips the same as turnip?
Rose
Parsnip soup? You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had a parsnip!
As for Free Stuff Fridays, we’re here for your recipes, your insight, your compassion, your humour and your recips. FSF is a delightful surprise and fun to participate in but hardly what we’re here for. I agree with Rose – I hope you didn’t get complaints!
I keep TRYING parsnips. Someday I’ll like them. It’s just that, every time I eat them, they taste like… well, parsnips. It’s the only food I don’t love.
Although I should try Sharon’s idea (browned in butter and olive oil, dusted with curry, might just do the trick).
Finishing soup with a good shot of evaporated milk is sheer genius, Julie. It’s my favorite way of putting together a steaming bowl of chowder, too.
+2 for what Rose & Sue said. I’m here to live vicariously, to celebrate, to commiserate and for inspiration – each gifts in themselves 🙂
p.s. James, I love the idea of your wine pairing suggestion.
My mom makes this a very similar soup, but with a nice shot of curry. It’s one of my absolute flavour combinations – sweet plus heat.
Rose – A parsnip is long and white – like a big carrot, and a turnip is round and half purple, half white. Both root veggies, but not the same!
Ohhhhh! This looks delicious! I can see what I’ll be making tomorrow night for dinner…. No worries about free stuff Fridays – we come to see your fabulous recipes and wonderful ideas!!!!!!!! 🙂
Parsnips are one of those vegetables that I can’t manage to eat. And beets. Oh, and brussel sprouts. But you did manage to remind me to add apples and pears to soups. I keep meaning to try that.
And don’t worry about the Free Fridays. I get free stuff from you blog almost every day. Free recipes, free info, free entertainment. I need to minimize my “stuff” anyway.
Oh, this sounds so lovely on a rainy fall day. So soothing and cozy. Curry warms it up nicely too.
Ooooo! Delicious!! I just finished off a large bag of parsnips from the farmers market! I love their sweet mildly carroty flavour!
Glad you’re taking a break from FSF! You need a break! I’m shaking my head about people complaining about getting their FREE STUFF!
Miss you. Hope you’re doing amazing and fabulous!
Parsnip glut?? Do send, ASAP!! Haven’t been able to find them here, dang it. Possibly my favorite veg, ever.
Roasted, olive oiled, salted, 450, heaven. Although simmered until tender and blitzed with a splash of cream and lots of fresh nutmeg’s pretty divine, also.
With pears in soup? I can only imagine…
Yum! It was wonderful.
I love your blog! You are such a wonderful writer and, of course, your recipes sound delicious. I, too, am shaking my head at people complaining about FREE STUFF and getting it on time??? It’s funny, I always thought that the free stuff was only for those who lived near you or in Canada! LOL. I live in Alabama! Keep up your awesome blog.
I’m not normally a big parsnip fan but this soup is heaven in a bowl! So warming and flavorful and satisfying. Loved every bite and so glad there are leftovers.
I’m so glad to hear it!