Apple Parsnip Soup with Carrot and Lemon

Introduction

Apple, parsnip, and carrot cook for an hour with nutmeg and lemon juice, then get blended until completely smooth. You end up with a lightly sweet soup that works hot for dinner or cold from the fridge for lunch.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 apples
• 1 carrot
• 1 parsnip
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 cups of water
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• Soup mix (optional)

Instructions

1. Chop up the onions, and sauté them in a pot with the olive oil until the onions are golden.
2. Chop up the apples, the carrot, and the parsnip, and put them into the pot.
3. Put the water, the nutmeg, the soup mix (if you are using the soup mix), lemon juice into the pot.
4. Cook for one hour, or until the carrots are soft.
5. Put the soup into a blender, and blend it up until it is smooth; there should not be any lumps in it.
6. Serve cold or hot!

Variations

• Use tart apples instead of sweet apples if you want a sharper contrast against the parsnip and carrot. The soup will taste less sweet and a little brighter.
• Leave out the soup mix for a cleaner fruit-and-root-vegetable flavor. The finished soup will be lighter and usually less salty.
• Swap the nutmeg for ground ginger if you want a warmer, spicier finish. Ginger shifts the soup away from sweet and toward savory.
• Replace the olive oil with butter when you sauté the onion if you want a rounder, richer base. The soup will taste slightly fuller and less sharp.
• Serve it cold with a little extra lemon juice stirred in just before serving. That makes the sweetness read more clearly and gives the soup a more pronounced chilled-soup profile.

Tips for Success

• Cook the onion until golden, not dark brown. If it browns too much, the soup can pick up a bitter edge.
• Cut the apple, carrot, and parsnip into small, even pieces so they soften at the same rate during the one-hour cook.
• Check the carrot before blending. It should mash easily with a spoon; if it still feels firm, keep cooking.
• Blend in batches if your blender is small. Hot soup expands, so do not fill the blender all the way.
• Stop blending only when the soup is fully smooth. Any remaining parsnip or carrot pieces will make the texture feel rough.

Storage and Reheating

Let the soup cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it in freezer-safe containers or portioned freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until hot all the way through. You can also microwave it in a covered bowl in 30-second bursts, stirring between each round; add a small splash of water if it thickens in storage. If you want to serve it cold, stir it well after chilling because blended soups can settle.

FAQ

Do I need to use the soup mix?

No. Since it is optional, you can leave it out and keep the flavor more focused on the apple, parsnip, carrot, and nutmeg.

What kind of apples should you use?

A firm apple works best so it holds up while cooking and gives you a clean sweetness. Tart apples make the soup brighter, while sweeter apples give it a softer finish.

Can you make this without a blender?

Yes, but the texture will be less smooth. An immersion blender works well, or you can use a food processor in batches.

Is this soup vegan?

It is vegan as written if your soup mix is vegan. Check the label, since some soup mixes contain dairy or meat-based flavoring.