ROASTED PARSNIP SOUP

The parsnips aren’t actually roasted; they’re shallow fried to a deep
golden brown on the hob, which gives them the same colour and
flavour as parsnips baked in the oven. As usual, quantities don’t
have to be precise, so buy any largish pre-packed bag of parsnips
or a couple of pounds (about 1 kg) of loose ones.
Parsnips are especially cheap around Christmas until the end
of January when they’re in season.
1 bag of parsnips
1 onion
1⁄2 bulb of fennel
2 cloves of garlic
Maple syrup
1 rounded tsp ginger
1⁄2 tsp nutmeg
1 lemon
Lemon juice
1 pint (500 ml) chicken stock
1⁄2 pint (250 ml) milk
Salt & pepper
Margarine
Instant mashed potato
Method
1. Roughly chop the onion and fennel, including the green leafy bit
at the top; peel and chop the parsnips into chunks and cut the
lemon into quarters, removing the pips and pithy bit in the centre.
2. Melt some margarine in a large saucepan – you could use butter
but because the soup is quite rich you may as well use a lighter
fat – and add the parsnips, onion, fennel, crushed garlic, lemon
quarters, nutmeg, ginger and a good squeeze of maple syrup.
(Give the lemon pieces a little squeeze as you put them in.)
3. Fry the vegetables on high for about 10 minutes until the
parsnips are golden and ‘roasted’.
4. Pour on the chicken stock and milk, stirring well, bring to the
boil and simmer for about half an hour.
5. Allow the soup to cool just a little, then remove the lemon
quarters, whisk in some instant mashed potato to get the
consistency you want (while the soup is still warm), then blend
in a liquidizer or food processor.
6. Adjust the consistency of the soup if necessary with a little more
instant mash and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice.
Tip
Instant mashed potato is a great thickener for soups, stews
and some sauces.