Ingredients

The following ingredients have 9 Servings
  • olive oil for the pans
  • 2½ pounds parsnips, (peeled and roughly chopped)
  • 4 to 5 baby parsnips, (peeled and cut into fourths or sixths, lengthwise)
  • 1 cup yellow onion, (roughly chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, (minced)
  • ½ teaspoon (plus a bit more for garnish) ground nutmeg
  • ½ pound Dutch Yellow potatoes, (washed and dried, roughly chopped)
  • 8 cups light vegetable stock ((the flavor should be mild))
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 500°F and adjust a rack to the center.
  • Generously coat a baking sheet with olive oil. Add the roughly chopped parsnips and mix them into the oil - dredging them through and coating both sides.
  • Then do the same thing with the baby parsnip slices, keeping them all in one area, as you'll be removing them from the oven before the rest. Generously sprinkle all of the parsnips with salt and pepper.
  • Once the oven has preheated to 500°F, roast the parsnips for approximately 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. The baby parsnip slices should be checked when you flip the rest -- they'll likely be ready to come out of the oven at this point. (Place them on a plate and set aside.) The rest of the parsnips should all be golden brown. Set them aside, keeping them on the baking sheet.
  • Coat the bottom of a large soup pot with olive oil, place it over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes.
  • Add the nutmeg and and stir. Once the aroma has been released, add the potatoes and cook for just a couple of minutes.
  • Now add the roasted parsnips to the pot (not the baby parsnips -- those are for garnish).
  • Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  • In two batches, pour the mixture into a very powerful blender and purée until it's as smooth as possible. It should be thick and creamy.
  • Pour the puréed soup back into the pot and season generously to taste with salt, pepper and maybe a pinch or two of granulated sugar. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
  • Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a super light dusting of ground nutmeg and a few of the baby parsnip fries.