Golden Beet + Parsnip Soup
Ingredients
3 large Golden Beets (you could also make this with red beets), peeled and chopped into 1” cubes
4 Parsnips, peeled and chopped into rounds
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
2 stalks of Celery
1 white Onion (or yellow), chopped
8-10 oz of Goat Cheese (half goes inside the soup and the rest is used for garnish)
Zest and Juice of one Lemon (save some zest for garnish)
Water (or nut milk, coconut would be good, but I used water)
Salt + Pepper
Curry Powder to taste (I used about 1.5 Tbsp)
Freshly cut Scallions or Chives (not pictured here but are delicious on top)
Frozen Garden Peas, optional topping
Olive Oil
Directions
In a large soup pot or Dutch Oven with the heat on medium, warm 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil. Once you see the oil start to get little ripples in it, stir half of the Curry you wish to use into the oil. This will “bloom” the spices and perfume the vegetables as they cook. Add your chopped vegetables immediately, along with a pinch or so of salt (which will help sweat the Onion and Celery, adding moisture and helping the vegetables to not burn in the oil). Cook until the onions and celery are a bit translucent. Keep stirring as it cooks, every 30 seconds or so, so that the spiced oil coats the vegetables.
Add in enough water to just barely cover your vegetables. Bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, cover and reduce heat to medium-low, low enough so that it’s at a good simmer without boiling over onto your stove top. After about 30 minutes or so, blend the ingredients with a hand-held immersion blender (these are awesome - if you don’t have one and make soups often, you should really invest in a good one), or in a regular blender or Food Processor, in batches if needed. Be very careful, as the soup will be extremely hot. Puree until all of the ingredients have combined and the soup is creamy.
Add the soup back into its original pot. This is when it’s super important to taste it. Does it need more Curry? If so, add it. Salt? Pepper? Some nut milk? Here is also where you can add in some goat cheese, the lemon juice and most of the zest (zest your lemon before juicing it..), and stir to combine. If you’re happy with it, let the flavors blend together for about 10 minutes or so and then serve.
I like to top my soup with something green for extra nutrients and a pop of color. You could add anything! Freshly chopped greens, crispy onions, radishes… I love to add Peas, Scallions, some Goat Cheese, a little Lemon Zest, and a little drizzle of Olive Oil for some shine and richness when I take those first few bites.
Hope you enjoy!
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