Mmmmm I love, love, love parsnip soup!
As soon as it gets cold outside I think about my immersion blender and all the root vegetable soups I’m going to be making this winter. Not only are they delicious, they are also super healthy and easy to make.
When I came up with the recipe for this parsnip soup, I thought about the soups my grand mother used to make: thick, smooth and assertive in flavor.
Every Sunday after church we gathered at my grand parents’ place for brunch and some type of blended soup. One week it would be vichyssoise followed by a blended vegetable soup and a potage aux carottes, etc… Each week was a different combination of vegetables but one thing remained the same; it was always blended to perfection.
I’m not going to lie; those brunches were awfully boring.
I was a child surrounded by grown ups who talked about grown up things. I couldn’t wait to get out of there but I did look forward to my grand mother’s cooking.
She rocked in the kitchen and I was always in there wanting to help.
She was a patient old lady who enjoyed teaching me about cooking. Nowadays, whenever I make my own blended vegetable soups, I think about my grand mother and thank her for giving me the magic touch. Because guess what; my blended soups are pretty amazing too! 😉
I called this soup Parsnip Soup with Herbes de Provence because the herbs are essential to adding that authentic French aroma we’ve all come to associate with French food.
You can find dried herbes de Provence in most grocery stores or you can make it yourself, it’s quite easy. Emeril Lagasse has a very simple recipe that’s just right for this parsnip soup. Wrap about a heaping tablespoon in a cheese cloth and throw it in your soup – it’s that easy and makes a big difference in the final outcome!
Think rustic, comforting, old school French a la Julia Child. So yummy. So satisfying!
You can serve this parsnip soup with a side of baguette and it will be filling enough for a meal.
I also serve it as an appetizer, together with another healthy dish like this detox cleanse salad, or I’ll have it as a late night snack because it’s healthy and low in fat.
Once you taste the difference a little herbes de Provence can make in a soup, you will be hooked for life. Bon appetit!
Parsnip Soup with Celery Root (and Herbes de Provence)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
- Category: Soups
- Cuisine: French
Description
Hearty and healthy, this comforting parsnip soup with celery is the perfect meal to warm up after a cold day out.
Ingredients
- 1 thumb size ginger (peeled and finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 parsnips (peeled and chopped bite size (about 4 – 4 1/2 cups))
- 1 1/2 cup celery root (peeled and chopped bite size)
- 1 medium carrot (peeled and chopped bite size)
- 2 cups green cabbage (roughly chopped)
- 8 cups organic vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 bouquet of Herbes de Provence
- water
Instructions
- Put olive oil, butter, garlic and ginger in a large pot over medium high heat and cook for 1 minute.
- Add cabbage and cook for 3 minutes, until cabbage softens.
- Add parsnips, celery root and carrots and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add chicken or vegetable broth and bouquet of Herbes de Provence.
- Bring to boil, lower, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and remove bouquet of Herbes de Provence.
- Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth like a puree. Alternatively, you can use a regular blender and blend the soup in batches. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
You can add water if you find the texture of the soup too thick. Refrigerate the leftovers, the soup will keep for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 6.3 g
- Sodium: 248.3 mg
- Fat: 4.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.6 g
- Fiber: 5.8 g
- Protein: 2.2 g
- Cholesterol: 5.1 mg
I love pureed veggie soups – they feel sort of indulgent but can be super healthy, like this. Just FYI, I tried to pin a photo from your post a few times and pinterest kept giving me an error that said “this is not a valid image” which is weird. I really wanted to pin this recipe!
Hi Courtney! I’m indeed having issue with the Pinterest pin it plugin, thank you for letting me know, I will see if I can use another program. Pureed soups are also one of my favorite things to eat for the same reasons; healthy, yummy and easy to make!