This beautiful vibrant green parsnip and leek soup recipe makes a delicious side dish or main course. It’s made with sautéed leeks, cooked with parsnips and broth, and blended into a creamy puree.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Green is the color of Ireland that you’ll understand immediately if you’ve been there or even flown over it.
We’ve been experimenting with parsnips lately, and on a whim we tossed a large bunch of chopped parsley into a simmering pot of parsnip soup. Parsnips are naturally sweet, as are leeks, which are also part of this soup.
The crisp bitterness of the parsley provides contrast and balance to what might otherwise taste a little too one-dimensional.
And the color! Such a beautiful, bright green. Perfect for St Patrick’s Day and a celebration of all things Irish.
Bread to serve with parsnip and leek soup
- Irish soda bread
- Irish brown bread (with yeast)
- Homemade potato bread
- Homemade rye bread
- Make-ahead dinner rolls
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Parsnip soup with leeks
Parsnips can sometimes have tough, fibrous pits, especially when they’re late in the season. If you find that the pits are particularly hard when you cut your parsnips, cut them out and discard them.
ingredients
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2 tablespoon butter
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3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced lengthwise, cleaned, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (approx 3 cups from cut Leek)
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1 1/2 to 2 lb parsnipspeeled and chopped
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2 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oilplus more for garnish
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1 to 2 teaspoon kosher salt
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4 cups chicken broth (use vegetable broth for the vegetarian option)
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2 cups water
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2 stripes lemon zest, 1 x 2 in. each
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2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley (reserve some for garnish)
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1 tablespoon lemon juice
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Fresh ground black pepper, taste
method
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Cooking leeks in butter:
Heat butter in a 4- to 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped leek, toss with the butter. When the leeks are heated enough to sizzle in the pan, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook until tender, but do not let the leeks brown.
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Add parsnips, oil, salt, broth, water and zest:
Add the parsnips and olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle the salt over it. Add broth and water. Add the strips of lemon zest.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the parsnips are quite tender, at least 30 minutes.
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Remove the lemon zest and add parsley. Puree:
After removing the peel and adding the parsley, puree with a hand blender or in portions with a blender. If using a stand mixer, fill the bowl no more than half full, cover the bowl and start blending on the lowest speed. Pour the pureed soup back into the pot.
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Stir in the lemon juice and season:
Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt if needed.
Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, a little olive oil and chopped parsley or chives.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 264 | calories |
| 11g | Fat |
| 37g | carbohydrates |
| 7g | protein |
