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Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup with Mushrooms

February 3, 2011 By Susan Voisin 76 Comments
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Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup with Mushrooms

I don’t know what it says about me that after 5 years of blogging, I can still find vegetables that I’ve never written about (or cooked with, to be honest about it).  I’m afraid it means that I get stuck in a rut, using the same tried and true ingredients over and over again, but when I’m feeling a bit more charitable toward myself, I blame it on the local grocery stores, which don’t get a lot of new-to-me produce, and when they do, it’s often old and sickly-looking from lack of anyone buying it regularly.  So a combination of these reasons is how parsnips come to make their first appearance on this blog. Oh, how I wish I’d discovered them sooner!

Parsnips look like white carrots, and you want to buy them when they’re all stiff and cream-colored and pert, not floppy and browning and sad.  I found the stiff and happily organic kind recently at the local co-op, and a conversation with one of the produce guys convinced me that I should either (a) roast them or (b) make them into soup.  Being the raging non-conformist that I am I decided to do both, simultaneously.  Before I pureed the roasted parsnips, though, I took a nibble (or three) and discovered that I loved them straight out of the oven, totally unadorned. I had to press on with my planned parsnip soup, though I’m sure that roasted parsnips will be making another appearance on this blog soon.

Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup with Mushrooms

And now the bad news: This recipe is not for everyone. Parsnips have a sweet flavor, brought out by roasting, that some people (ahem E) object to in a soup. D and I loved this soup–it grew on D, as his comments went from “interesting” to “good” to “delicious” to “May I finish off the rest of the pot?”  The mushrooms add a little earthiness, but if you’re not sure about the sweet, skip this soup and wait for my next parsnip recipe. I promise you won’t have to wait another 5 years.

Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup with Mushrooms
5 from 3 votes
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Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup with Mushrooms

Old or large parsnips can have a hard core, particularly near the top. If you find that your parsnips are overly woody, cut out and discard the hardest part.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1 pound parsnips , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 small onion , thinly sliced
  • 1 rib celery (including leaves), chopped
  • 4-5 cups No-Chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper or to taste (white pepper adds spiciness)
  • 1/2 cup great northern beans
  • 6-8 ounces mushrooms , stemmed and sliced
  • 1 green onion , sliced thin
  • salt to taste
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Place the parsnip cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cut the top off of the head of garlic, just enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Place it on a square of aluminum foil, spritz it quickly with a 1/2-second spray of olive oil (optional), and wrap it up. Place it on the baking sheet with the parsnips and put it into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over the parsnips, and cook for 10-15 more minutes until parsnips are tender and just touched with brown. Remove from oven and allow the garlic to cool in its wrapper.
  • Heat a non-stick saucepan and cook the onion until it’s translucent. Add the celery and cook for a couple minutes more. Add 3 cups of the broth, the parsnips, and the pepper. Squeeze the garlic out of the cloves into the pan. Cook for a few minutes, until parsnips have softened. Add the beans.
  • Puree the soup in one of two ways: (1)place it into a blender in one or two batches, being careful not to fill more than half full and adding more broth if necessary (preferred), or (2) use a stick blender and carefully blend right in the pan. The smoother you get it, the better, so a Vita-Mix or other high-powered blender is great here. Return the pureed soup to the pan and warm over low heat. If the soup is too thick, add more broth until it reaches your desired consistency. Keep it covered because it will “erupt” from time to time.
  • Cook the sliced mushrooms in a small non-stick skillet until they soften and release their juices. Season them with salt and add the green onion. Stir most of them into the soup, setting some nice-looking ones aside to use as a garnish. Season with salt and white pepper to taste (careful with the white pepper if you don’t like things spicy!)

Notes

For a cream of mushroom-type soup, add the mushrooms with the celery and cook until softened. Blend with the other vegetables as directed.
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup with Mushrooms
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 175
% Daily Value*
Sodium 478mg21%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 8.5g35%
Sugar 7.3g8%
Protein 7.4g15%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Soup
Cuisine Vegan
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
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Other Bloggers Do Parsnips:

Curried Parsnip Soup from Novel Eats
Parsnip Cake at Veganbaking.net (do not look if you’re on a diet!)
Puréed Roasted Parsnips Recipe at Simply Recipes (veganizable)
Parsnip and wild rice mulligatawny by Allotment 2 Kitchen
Slow Cooker Vegan Lentil Parsnip Soup by Geek, Poet, Housewife, Wannabe
Seasonal Spotlight: Parsnips on The Kitchn


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Garlic and parsnips are roasted together and then pureed with white beans for a creamy parsnip soup with no cream, butter, or soy products.

Filed Under: Recipes, Soups, Vegetables Tagged With: Eat-to-Live, Gluten-free, Under 200, Vita-Mix

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah Strahle

    February 11, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    This soup is so delicious! I love finding new things to make with parsnips!

    Reply
  2. Melissa

    February 12, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    THANK YOU for your blog. When I first started ETL, I felt overwhelmed, and it’s so great to come here and know that I can try out some recipes that you’ve made and tried.

    Reply
  3. Brandy

    February 13, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    I tried this soup tonight and must say it was delicious. I pureed all the mushrooms right into the soup. I am looking forward to lunch this week for sure with the leftovers!

    Reply
  4. Andy

    February 13, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    So good! Perfect marriage of sweet, delicious parsnips and earthy mushrooms. I didn’t puree mine as smoothly, so it doesn’t look quite as pretty as the picture 🙂

    I also tried out my new toasted walnut oil in this to give a hint more depth. I wish I could have included the garlic, but all I saw at the store was $5 for a head. Yeesh.

    Reply
  5. Kat

    February 17, 2011 at 6:08 am

    Will have to try this. We love roasted parsnips. They’re also delicious mashed….

    Reply
  6. Ivy

    February 23, 2011 at 9:24 am

    I love parsnips! Roasted! Ever since I went vegan, I think. That soup looks divine. I can’t wait to make it 🙂

    Reply
  7. Get Skinny, Go Vegan.

    March 2, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    Love using the parsnips! They are supposed to be so good for the skin and hair.

    Reply
  8. Christopher Kandrat

    March 8, 2011 at 8:15 pm

    The parsnips and garlic go together perfectly, an awesome dish.

    Reply
  9. Sophie

    March 10, 2011 at 7:57 am

    This recipe looks so good that it re-inspired my parsnip-based efforts! I wrote a post about it here: http://my-vegan-blog.blogspot.com/2011/02/with-god-as-my-witness-ill-never-eat.html

    It’s a long hard slog through the parsnip season here in the UK – for those of us who are poor and try to eat local/seasonal produce. Today I happen to have some mushrooms in the fridge, so it’s time to try out your idea!

    Good luck finding a way to make a non-sweet parsnip dish, though – that’s their defining feature! Steaming them is probably the only way forward.

    Reply
  10. Eunice

    April 4, 2011 at 2:03 am

    This would be a great alternative for my dilemma in making soups for my sick friend. I’m running out of recipes to use and the creativity in me is dying already. Thanks for sharing this recipe. This would be of great help to me and of course, to the stomach of my friend.

    Reply
  11. Valorie

    April 17, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    You did it again, Susan! Thanks for another delicious soup recipe. Everyone loved this and asked for seconds, even the non-vegan kids. Next time, I’ll have to double the batch! I so appreciate all the work you put in to your recipes and your photos are fantastic. I have confidence that your recipes will turn out and often make things for guests without pre-testing them on my own. So far, it has been 100% success. I always turn to your site first when I am trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Thanks again!

    Reply
  12. kelsbell

    April 20, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    This was SO good! I made it last night, but instead of using the Great Northern Beans I substituted a roasted head of cauliflower – YUM! 🙂

    Reply
  13. I Be a fooDie

    December 16, 2011 at 12:45 pm

    We blogged your parsnip soup recipe today and gave it rave reviews! You can check out our blog at http://www.ibeafoodie.wordpress.com. Thank you so much for providing this recipe!

    I Be a fooDie

    Reply
  14. Dyan

    January 13, 2012 at 9:46 am

    This soup is perfect for a cold winter day, sweet and spicy and thick and warming. It’s also a good way to use up celery leaves. I always end up throwing them away, so I put in all the celery leaves I had and added extra celery as well. Next time I’m going to make twice as many parsnips and eat half by themselves after baking. I had no idea they would be so tasty plain!

    Reply
  15. Anne

    March 1, 2012 at 5:00 pm

    I roasted parsnips for the first time last night and absolutely loved them! Thanks for this recipe, definitely going to try it. As a new fat-free vegan, I really appreciate your blog.

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      March 2, 2012 at 11:32 am

      Thanks, Anne! I hope you enjoy the soup!

      Reply
  16. Anne

    March 1, 2012 at 5:01 pm

    p.s. the printer button works great!

    Reply
  17. Josephine Royle

    April 5, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    I love anything with parsnips- and I love soup all year round-can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  18. NottinghamKate

    November 18, 2012 at 5:28 am

    Gorgeous! The first of the seasons parsnips came this week in my veg box so I guess I’ll be getting them for a while now. This is a fabulous way to use them up – and those beans that I overcooked in the pressure cooker!
    Thanks again Susan.

    Reply
  19. Peggy Smith

    October 14, 2013 at 11:31 am

    I made a batch of your Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup with Mushrooms. Our Farmer’s Market has carried boxes of hand-picked wild mushrooms the last couple of weeks and I’ve been looking for inspired ways of eating them (although just plain is fine with me too). Parsnips are also in season. Loved the soup. It did justice to my field-picked mushrooms. Thanks!

    Reply
  20. Diane

    December 17, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    Mmmmm, parsnips! My German-immigrant grandmother grew tons of these and her favorite way of serving them was to slice them, boil until just barely soft, then fry in a cast-iron pan in just a smidge of butter until the inside of each slice was creamy soft and the outside was browned and crispy on top and bottom. When we visited in fall and winter, she always served them for at least one meal and sent a few pounds home with us. After she moved off the farm, we couldn’t find any parsnips for years. They’ve just started showing up in our local stores in the last five years and, like you, I’ve discovered they also taste wonderful roasted, either alone or as part of a root vegetable mixture.
    Never thought of using them in soup, though, and I’m with D, it had to grow on my a bit, but it’s delicious!

    Reply
  21. kim baker

    March 11, 2014 at 10:09 pm

    I made this tonight! Another Excellent recipe I must say. I can’t wait to make the next offering!
    Thanks , Susan!

    Reply
  22. andi

    May 18, 2014 at 2:03 pm

    Beautiful, healthy recipe. Just made it for the first time, and will be making it again!
    I followed the directions exactly. However, I used canned beans, and at the end, added the unused beans (what was left after pureeing 1/2 cup) to the soup without pureeing them. The recipe is great as is, but I like a little something extra to chew and wanted to make sure I didn’t waste the extra 🙂

    Reply
  23. Kate

    October 12, 2014 at 4:39 am

    Here in the UK Parsnips are a ubiquitous Winter vegetable. They are usually roasted in butter (by non Vegans!) or used in stews BUT they are delicious steamed. Try them in a vegan bowl…I like them with a Yasai Katsu style curry sauce and some Kale.
    I’m trying this recipe out today as it’s very misty out and it seems an good Autumnal day for soup.

    Reply
  24. Julia

    November 22, 2014 at 4:01 am

    Hi. A classic use of parsnips here in NZ is to boil/steam them with carrots and mash the two veggies together. Traditionally this is done with butter, but I’m sure there’s a vegan way to approach it!

    Looking forward to trying this soup.

    Reply
  25. Denisa

    April 13, 2022 at 5:46 am

    I absolutely love eating Asia style parsnips but your roasted parsnip and garlic soup with mushrooms sound so good! Thanks for the recipe, Susan. It came just in time since I’m trying a vegetarian diet for a few months. I’m surprised to see that you mention adding white pepper. I’m not a very big fan of it so I’ll use black pepper, I hope the taste won’t end up being different. Your pictures are beautiful, too.

    Reply
  26. reemhanif

    November 25, 2022 at 3:31 am

    I tried this soup yesterday and it was very delicious and tasty.

    Reply
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