Serves 4
This lightly spiced soup is sure to warm you up on a cold winter’s day. You can also use carrots or celeriac instead of parsnip – whatever root vegetable you have to hand.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp toasted ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
4 large parsnips (about 800g), peeled and chopped
Few knobs of butter
600-800ml hot vegetable stock or boiling water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200ml double cream (optional)



Method

1 Heat the oil in a large pan and gently sauté the onions for a few minutes. Add the garlic and spices and stir through.

2 Add the parsnips and a few knobs of butter. Give the mixture a stir, cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the parsnips are soft.?

3 When the parsnips turn slightly translucent, pour in enough hot stock to cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil and season well. Add the double cream, if using.

4 Liquidise the soup in a blender until well puréed. For a very smooth result, pass the soup through a fine sieve, back into the pan. Reheat and adjust the consistency and seasoning, adding a little more hot stock or boiling water if it is too thick. 5 Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil and a grating of black pepper.

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