I don’t know about you but I tend to over shop at the grocery store. Yesterday, I looked at my shelves and thought that I could certainly get a weeks worth of meals out of my pantry, freezer and fridge without buying another item. Can I do it? I’m sure going to try.
There were parsnips in the vegetable bin. I had intended to make soup from them before my mother-in-law let me know they didn’t really care for parsnips. I love them. Boy, did they miss out on an amazing soup! It was rich, slightly sweet as well as spicy and really, really comforting. Just what the January weather called for. I had everything on hand except the mustard seeds which I skipped and replaced with a bit of chopped cilantro as garnish. We opened a bottle of 2006 Grigich Hills Estate Chardonnay and enjoyed immensely with a loaf of crusty french bread.
From my favorite Fine Cooking Magazine – which is always a winner.
Parsnip and Leek Soup – Day 1 of the Clean Pantry Challenge.
1 large yellow onion, cut into medium dice (2 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups lower-salt chicken broth; more as needed
2 medium leeks (white and light-green parts only), trimmed, washed, and sliced crosswise about 1/2 inch thick (2-1/2 cups)
1 lb. medium parsnips peeled, cored and cut into medium dice (about 2 cups)
1 lb. yellow potatoes (like Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into medium dice (2-3/4 cups)
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tsp. cumin seed
2 tsp. black mustard seed
Heat the butter in a 6- to 8-quart heavy-duty pot over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a couple of grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth, leeks, parsnips, and potatoes and raise the heat to medium high. Simmer briskly for 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to low. Add the turmeric and cayenne, stirring well, and simmer slowly until the vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes.
Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender and then strain it through a medium-mesh sieve. The soup should be about as thick as a thin milk shake; add more broth if it’s not thin enough. Return the soup to the pot and season to taste with salt. (The soup can be made up to this point 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before proceeding.)
Shortly before serving, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, cumin seed, and mustard seed. Stir with a wooden spoon until the seeds begin to pop and the garlic is lightly browned, 30 to 60 seconds. Carefully stir the hot oil and spices into the soup (it may spatter). Season to taste with more salt, pepper, or cayenne.
photo: Scott Phillips, From Fine Cooking 102, pp. 69, October 29, 2009
Sounds delish. Just finished off a great potato leek soup, recipe from David Lebovitz. Yours will be next. I live on soups all winter (and I live in relatively mild California).
Comment by Natalie Thiele — January 14, 2010 @ 9:20 AM