By Nathan Lloyd
So, the evenings are starting to draw in and we’re nearly ready for scarves and mittens. What better way to see in the Autumn than with a hearty soup to warm the cockles of the soul?
You’ll need:
4-5 medium parsnips (roasted)
1 onion
1tbsp German mustard (use wholegrain mustard as an alternative)
1tbsp Dijon mustard
Parsley (fresh, naturally)
1 pint of water
Rapeseed oil
Garnish:
A handful Hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
Chopped fresh parsley
1-2 small golden roasted parsnips
Method:
The real trick with this soup is the roasting of the parsnips. You can bung them in the oven and let them do their thing while you’re catching up with some reading.
Pre-heat your oven to 180° with your baking tray loaded with a generous glug or two of rapeseed oil, then peel and parboil the parsnips. Toss the parsnips in the hot oil and roast for 25 minutes or so.
While they’re cooking, chop and fry the onion in a Le Creuset style deep pan with a little oil until they’re soft and mellow. When the parsnips are done, remove from the oven and snip into the pot with a pair of scissors (keep one or two smaller parsnips and leave to one side for the garnish). Pour over the water, stir in the mustards, a handful of parsley and season generously with salt and black pepper. Put the lid on and let it simmer for a further thirty minutes.
When the soup’s done its thing, take a hand blender and blitz the whole thing into a thick, creamy soup. For the topping, chop and toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan. Keep an eye on them as they cook very quickly and burned hazelnuts aren’t nice! Sprinkle a little fresh, chopped parsley, the hazelnuts and the whole roasted parsnips you kept from earlier. Serve with rye bread or sourdough.
