Skip to main content

Roasted Parsnip Soup Topped with Candied Bacon and Cheese Curds #SoupSwapDay


National Soup Swap Day is being hosted by Kate of Kate's Recipe Box. She wrote: "The third Saturday in January is National Soup Swap Day! Bring your favorite soup to the virtual soup swap!" There is no link list for this event, so please check out her Pinterest Board!

Even though I live on the very temperate central coast of California, and the temperature is consistently between 45 and 65 degrees, I still have a soup season. Soups are easy to make; can be made ahead of time, if needed; and are simple to multiply for large groups. Some of my favorites - that are in our regular soup season rotation - include...

Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae (Kimchi-Tofu Stew)



Then I have soups that are less typical on our table, but tasty nonetheless. These might be highly seasonal or include specialty items I can't get regularly. Think Ling Ngau Tong (Lotus Root and Nut Soup), Salmorejo de Conejo, Chilled Watermelon and Rosé Soup, and Cucumber Gazpacho.

And we love a good seafood soup or stew for a hearty, one-pot dinner. You can check out my versions of Zarzuela de Marisco, Brodetto Marchigiano, Suquet de Pescados (Catalan Seafood Stew), Cioppino, and Moqueca.

But today, I decided to share a blended soup made with root vegetables. It's gussied up with some bacon crisps and salty curds. Enjoy...

Roasted Parsnip Soup Topped with 
Candied Bacon and Cheese Curds

Ingredients
  • 6 to 8 C chopped parsnips
  • olive oil
  • 2 C chopped carrots
  • 1 C chopped celery
  • 1 C chopped leeks
  • 8 C organic chicken stock
  • 1 t minced ginger
  • 1 T minced garlic
  • 1 t  minced lemongrass
  • 1/4 C fresh chopped herbs (I used a mixture of parsley, cilantro, and chives)
  • freshly ground salt
  • freshly ground pepper
For Serving


Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss parsnips in a splash of olive oil and turn out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the parsnips are soft and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large soup pot, cook the carrots, celery, and leeks in a splash of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add in the roasted parsnips, chicken stock, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook till carrots are soft. Fold in the fresh herbs.

In a batches, carefully blend until smooth. You can use an immersion blender or a regular blender; I only have the latter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot with candied bacon and cheese crumbles as a garnish.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Caulibits Crni Rižoto (Croatian Black "Risotto") #Whole30

Last week, I participated in the Wine Pairing Weekend event 'New Year, New Wine." I paired Crni Rižoto with Dingac Vinarija’s Pelješac...and you can read my post: here . I was pouring a Croatian wine and decided to make a traditional Croatian dish. Every seafood restaurant in Croatia has a  Crni Rižoto  (black risotto) on its menu.  Crni Rižoto  is risotto dyed black with squid ink; I used cuttlefish ink for the same effect. However, since arborio rice is not Whole30 compliant, I made a version for myself that used caulibits instead of rice. Ingredients 1 C fish stock (or a combination of fish stock and vegetable stock) 1 T olive oil 1 medium shallots, peeled and minced 1 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1/4 lb shrimp 1/4 lb squid tubes, cleaned and sliced into rings 1/4 lb scallops 1/4 lb clams, scrubbed 1/4 lb mussels, scrubbed 4 C caulibits, or chopped cauliflower 1 T fresh parsley, minced juice and zest from 1 organic lemon 1 t cuttlefish ink

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t