Smoky Parsnip Soup Recipe | Homemade Food Junkie (2024)

FAQs

How to make Jamie Oliver's parsnip soup? ›

As for me, here are the common sense lessons learned:

Once this does happen, you can tone down the sweetness by adding spices like cumin, nutmeg or lemon juice. Deviate from the recipe to reduce sweetness. Instead of adding 4 parsnip to the recipe, reduce the number of parsnip by half.

A root vegetable belonging to the dandelion family, salsify is also known as the oyster plant because of its similar taste when cooked. The root is similar in appearance to a long, thin parsnip, with creamy white flesh and a thick skin.

While they're both root vegetables packed with nutrients, parsnips and turnips are not quite the same—parsnips are similar to carrots and have a sweet, candy-like flavor profile. Turnips, on the other hand, are in the Brassica rapa family and are much less sweet.

Cooking instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

I recommend peeling parsnips before adding them to recipes like this parsnip soup. If you don't peel them, you'll likely be adding a bitter taste to the soup. Why is my parsnip soup bitter? If you leave the peels on the parsnip, it can cause your soup to taste bitter.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Re: Bitter parsnips

If that still doesn't help, then you can simply trim the outside and discard the woody core before cooking (that's the bitter part). Or you can add a few pinches of sugar to the cooking water and that eliminates the bitterness.

Did you know that parsnips are primarily harvested in winter because they taste better when the weather is cold? Once parsnips experience frost, they becomes sweeter and tastier. Stored starches in the parsnip are broken down and converted to sugar, which is why they have that delicious sweetness.

Dedicated veggie and herb fertilisers with their higher P and K ratios are ideal applied at the recommended rate, coupled with a monthly dusting of blood & bone, which will help those parsnip roots bolt away.

What is the vegetable that looks like a giant parsnip? ›

Salsify is a root veg and looks similar to a parsnip when peeled, but don't be fooled into thinking it's the same thing. This plant actually comes from the dandelion family, and there are two varieties: black and white. The black one tends to be favoured because it's a bit fleshier and easier to peel.

What sets parsnips apart is their low-calorie content and high fiber, making them an excellent alternative to starchy vegetables like potatoes. In fact, for two centuries, parsnips were the primary source of dietary starch in the US before potatoes took over.

I like to think of parsnips as carrots “sweeter” cousin. And while they look a little more rustic and less attractive than their orange relative they make up for it in flavor and texture. Parsnips have an amazingly sweet taste with a hint of earthiness.

Parsnips, which are similar to daikon radishes in appearance and texture, are easily accessible — so they'll work in a pinch. Keep in mind that parsnips are much milder than daikon, so this substitution will affect the final flavor of your dish.

Parsnips are usually cooked but can also be eaten raw. They have a lot going on nutritionally: They are filled with vitamins, high in the minerals potassium and manganese, and a good source of fiber.

How to prepare parsnips. Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling – just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.

Parboil the parsnips in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Pick the thyme leaves. Toss the parsnips with the honey, thyme, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, 10g of the butter and 2 tablespoons of oil. Tip into a roasting tray and arrange in one layer, then roast for 40 minutes, or until golden.