Creamy-white and sweeter than their carrot cousins, parsnips are less-celebrated in America than they are in Britain. It’s a shame. There, Christmas revelers include parsnips as part of the Holiday table or eat them with their Sunday roasts. Here, ask somebody about a parsnip and they’ll probably look at their shoes & mumble something non-committal. I suspect people here get their “pars” crossed: Parsnips look an awfully lot like parsley root, and parsley root–unlike the sweetly unassuming parsnip–can be very-intensely flavored and a bit bitter. (I like assertive vegetables, but for this soup, stick with the parsnip.) Anyway….we are sure that the delicious flavor of this silky, buttery soup will make you a parsnip fan.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp butter (or soy butter for vegan version)
• 2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut into coins (about 4 medium parsnips)
• 1 small chopped onion (1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 4 cups beef (or vegetable stock, for vegan version)
• 1 cup milk (or soy milk for vegan version)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste
• Croutons, to garnish

Instructions

1. Melt butter in soup pot. Add parsnip, onion and garlic. Saute until soft.
2. Sprinkle flour and curry powder over and whisk to allow to brown a bit.
3. Heat stock in microwave until hot. (Or heat in a separate pot on stovetop.) Pour hot broth into vegetable mixture and whisk to incorporate. Simmer for ten minutes.
4. Puree all with an immersion blender OR pour into a regular blender and pulse until smooth. Return soup to pot. Add milk and seasonings. Reheat until hot, but not boiling. Serve in small cups with crouton garnish.