Easy Curried Parsnip Soup

This classic curried parsnip soup recipe is rich and full of flavour, thanks to the roasted vegetables. It is also very as easy to prepare. This traditional winter warmer is perfect for batch cooking, and with a simple twist is elegant enough for a star turn at dinner parties.

Curried parsnip soup

The inherent sweetness of parsnips means they pair so well with curry powder. This velvet-smooth curried parsnip soup recipe is a classic for good reason.

I’ve roasted the parsnips to concentrate the flavours and produce a richer soup. This also has the benefit of making preparation a hands-off breeze.

Make a big batch and serve for winter lunches, making the most of seasonal produce. You can also go a step further and make homemade parsnip crisps for a fantastic garnish that makes this a dinner party worthy dish.

This curried parsnip soup recipe ideal for batch cooking, as it is easy to make a big pot and freeze some for later.

I usually cook for two, but nearly always make batches of soup for 6. This will feed us both for 3 days, which saves a lot of effort in the kitchen when you’re busy.

Why make curried parsnip soup

• This recipe is easy and largely hands off!

• It is delicious – parsnip and curry is a natural pairing and roasting concentrates the flavours beautifully.

• It is frugal, making the most of seasonal vegetables.

• The recipe uses minimal everyday ingredients, available in all supermarkets.

• With a tiny bit of extra effort, this recipe is perfect for dinner parties!

• The recipe is perfect for bulk cooking and for freezing.

Curried parsnip soup ingredients

• Parsnips – One bag of regular parsnips. There is no need for expensive baby parsnips, but do avoid the extra large parsnips, because these can have very woody cores. If you are feeling lazy, you can buy bags of frozen prepared parsnips.

• Onion & garlic – any onion, white, red or even shallots are fine.

• Curry Powder – Any ready mixed curry powder, mild or hot. You can make your own blend, but let’s make making this soup fuss free, fast and effortless!

• Stock / Broth – Use your favourite. I like those jelly-like stock pots.

• Cream – Double or single. You can use a non-dairy substitute if you prefer. If you do not have cream, then swap half the stock for milk. Alternatively, you can whizz in a generous knob of butter at the end.

How to make parsnip soup – step by step

Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this perfectly every time.

Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.

Step One – First prepare the vegetables:

• Onions – Peel and cut into quarters.
• Garlic – Peel
• Parsnip – Peel and cut into wedges, each about the thickness of your thumb.

If you are planning to make parsnip crisps to serve with the soup, use the vegetable peeler to shave off some thin slivers of parsnip. Then pop these in a bowl of water in the fridge to use later.

Step Two – Put the prepared vegetables into a roasting tray and then add the olive oil, curry powder and seasoning. Give everything a good shake to break up the onion quarters.

Roast at Gas Mark 5 / 190 °C / 170 °C Fan for about 30 minutes, turning once during cooking.

Helen’s Fuss Free Tip

Use a large roasting tray so there is only one layer of vegetables. You want them to roast and caramelise for all that lovely flavour, not steam.

Use two trays if you need to, to ensure they are well spread out.

Step Three – Once cooked, the vegetables will be soft, turning golden brown and will have reduced in size by about a third to a half.

Step Four – Scrape the roasted curried parsnips into a saucepan. Add a little of the stock to the roasting tin and give the bottom a really good scrape to catch all the tasty crispy bits. Then add to the saucepan, along with the rest of the stock.

Step Five – Now blend the soup until it is smooth and velvety, you may need to add some more liquid at this stage. I usually use a stick blender for this, as they are inexpensive, effective and easy to clean. They also take up very little space in the kitchen.

If you prefer, you can also blend in a food processor or blender. If using either of these, either allow the soup to cool first, or remove the central bung/stopper and hold a folded tea towel loosely over the lid. This will allow the steam to escape.

Finally, Check the seasoning and stir the cream through before serving.

To make the parsnip chips

Step Six – To make parsnip crisps as an accompaniment, drain and pat dry the reserved slices of parsnip. Then fry them in a little oil over a medium heat until golden and crisp, flipping them once during cooking. Watch them very carefully so they do not burn.

Once cooked, remove from the pan and spread out on a sheet of kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Serving suggestion

Serve with homemade bread and butter, for a delicious lunch.

To level this dish up for a dinner party, serve with a swirl of cream and topped with your homemade parsnip crisps.

Variations

• Vary the spice – Any curry or spice blend with a little heat works well here with the sweetness of the parsnip. You do not need to stick to an Indian blend for your spiced parsnip soup. Mrs Beeton chose cayenne. You could try a Middle Eastern or North African mix such as ras el hanout, harissa or baharat.

• Apple and Parsnip Soup – Cut an apple into quarters, remove the core and roast along with the vegetables.

• Swap in some more vegetables – Any root vegetables go well in this soup. Try adding carrots, swede, turnip etc. to the mix.

• Make it simpler – I think this recipe is very easy already. If, however, you don’t want to roast the vegetables, cut them into 2 cm / half inch chunks fry them in a little oil along with the curry powder. Cover with the stock and allow to simmer for about half an hour until soft.

Storage and freezing

Fridge – Allow to cool, and then pack into containers, seal and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freezer – Allow to cool, pack into containers, seal and then freeze. Frozen soup will keep for up to 6 months.

Hints and tips

• It is important to cut the vegetables into approximately the same sized pieces when roasting, so that they all cook evenly.

• If you don’t have time to make parsnip crisps, you can garnish the soup with a packet of ready made parsnip or mixed root crisps.

• The longer you blend the soup, the better the final texture will be. For a really silky smooth soup, you can also sieve it.

• To clean stick blenders quickly, rinse first. Then pop into a bowl of warm soapy water and give it a quick whizz. Rinse food processors or blenders, then fill about a quarter full with warm water and few drops of washing up liquid. Then whizz, rinse and repeat.

FAQS

More Soup Recipes

• Carrot and Parsnip Soup – Golden soup for cooler days – perfect for a big batch and filling the freezer!

• Tomato red pepper soup – full of flavour and rich in antioxidants

• Carrot and lentil soup – warming, frugal and filling!

• Roast swede soup – Velvet smooth and so delicious!

• Roasted squash soup – rich, smooth with a hint of spice.

• More easy soup recipes – if you love soup try some of my souper soup recipes!

• Homemade bread is the perfect thing to serve with soup – try one of my bread recipes!