I find inspiration in your blogs, thank you! A few weeks ago, my Hungarian friend Zsuzsa prepared a very beautiful Leek and Potato soup that looked so gorgeous and creamy, I knew I wanted to make it for a dinner we had with my nephew Brian. But I was lazy because I didn’t feel like heading out to buy potatoes, so I used what I had which were parsnips (I had three left over from a chicken soup I made to help combat our persistent colds)! When ever I see leeks on sale, I buy a few bunches and slice them into thin slices and freeze on a cookie sheet and then transfer them to a plastic baggy, that way I have leeks when ever I need them, and I needed them for this!
I was surprised at how well the parsnips replaced the potato, adding just a touch of sweetness to the soup (by oven roasting them) and not compromising the creamy texture that potatoes generally add. Parsnips have slightly fewer carbohydrates than potatoes but they also contain fibre, and potatoes do not; they are also effectively lower on the glycemic index (for a similar weights, a potato can be 56-110 where the parsnip is a lowly 10!). I think I have found my new vegetable combo for this traditional soup!
Creamed Leek and Parsnip Soup
Makes around 1000 mL or 4 quarts, depending on how thick you want the soup.
Ingredients:
- 200 g (about 1.5 cups) parsnips, peeled and cut into relatively equal chunks
- 100 g (about 1 cup) onions, cut into large slices
- 250 g (about 1 1/2 cups) leeks, finely sliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp EVOO
- sea salt to taste
- 4-6 cups low sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you wish to make this vegetarian)
- non-stick spray
- 2-3 tbsp crispy fried chopped chorizo (omit for vegetarian version)
- Parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 177°C or 350°F. Give a small pan a couple of squirts of non-stick spray and roast the parsnips and the onions until soft.
- In a small ramekin with 2 tbsp EVOO, add the unpeeled garlic and a good pinch of sea salt. Cover with aluminum foil and roast along side of the parsnips.
- Spray a couple of squirts of non-stick spray into a good size soup pot (one that will take at least 1000 mL or 4 quarts). Cook the leeks until softened.
- When the garlic is soft enough to easily push a fork through, remove and pop out of the peel (be careful, it’s really hot). The parsnips and onions are done when they are soft enough to push a fork through as well.
- Remove the leek pot from heat and add the roasted parsnips, onion and roasted garlic (including the oil) to the leek pot. To start, add 2 cups of stock and begin blending with an immersion blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add more stock until the desired thickness is achieved. Taste and salt as desired, keeping in mind that the chorizo and Parmesan will add a certain amount of saltiness to it.
- To ensure a super velvety texture, press the soup through a fine sieve. Take the bits left over in the sieve and put into the immersion blender container and add a cup or two of the strained soup. Blend again for a couple of minutes (you will be surprised at how much additional thick soup you can get out of this). Press through a fine sieve into the soup. The left over pulp can be a tasty treat if you don’t mind the texture!
- To crispy fry the Chorizo, chop into small pieces and in about 1 tsp of canola oil, fry the bits until crispy. Blot on paper towel to remove the oil.
- Warm the bowls in a low temperature oven and reheat the soup (I usually reheat in my Microwave); run the immersion blender through it one last time before serving (our chef in Lyon suggested this aerates the soup and makes it even lighter in the mouth!).
- Ladle the soup into each bowl and grate about 1 tsp of Parmesan cheese onto the centre, add about a tsp of crispy fried Chorizo. Serve while hot.
I’m all about substituting in other root veggies for potatoes. They add new dynamics and are healthier than the real thing! Other a man does still need his potatoes every once in a while.
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I hear you loud and clear Jed, the trick is to balance it with a less heavy/rich meat.
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I find inspiration in this soup. Looks wonderful and we still have a few more cold nights, I hope.
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Thanks Greg, we’re warming up here in Toronto, but I’m sure it won’t last too long.
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What a fantastic idea for a soup. The parsnips look really interesting. I first tried roasted parsnips about a year ago. Didn’t know this vegetable was so versatile!
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Thanks Amber, I’ve been using parsnip in puréed things quite a bit since I discovered how creamy they taste and feel, so this was a perfect substitution. Just make sure they are not too large otherwise they can be bitter.
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It’s back to soup weather again! And this parsnip soup with the lovely garnish would be perfect for my dinner tonight 🙂
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Thank you kindly Liz, it’s not pretty here either but hoping the week will usher in warmer temperatures.
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It looks so creamy so that is amazing that there is no cream in this soup. I love the addition of chorizo 😀
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Thank you kindly Lorraine, I’m actually craving a bowl right now! It’s still so cold and dreary here in Toronto, miserable really.
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Never heard any leek could possibly became a soup…
great option since the onion soup is perfect for my licking too!
thx for sharing this recipe
btw, are u use the whole leek or just the white part???
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Thanks Dedy, I use the entire leek because I purée this soup, so any tough woody parts of the stem are dealt with when I run it through a fine mesh sieve. Plus I don’t like wasting any parts of the vegetable.
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Hi Eva, I adore parsnip… BUT, it holds a strange place in my desires. It teeters on the brink of being a flavour I love, and yet also having a sweetness like sweet potatoes (which I find very difficult to enjoy most of the time). As a result I don’t like doing too much with parsnips. I like them roasted usually, once I start mashing them in with things or blending up with others then that sweetness starts to come through and it becomes less enjoyable for me (it sounds probably so weird I guess).
However, I appreciate how wonderfully creamy they can be and so healthy compared to our carby friend, the potato. Leek must be a good pair for it… the strong flavours will lift out any sweetness. Not sure if I tried the two together before but I think I would like it. It certainly looks excellent!
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Thank so much Charles. I know exactly what you mean but the right balance (like all Asian cooking) will bring out the best in each food. Leeks are less harsh than onions but have a strong green flavour which the sweetness of the parsnip balances. I do hope you try it and tell me about it.
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I would take parsnip over potato any day in a soup like this and isn’t it amazing what a creamy results is achieved here without a drop of cream! I have to say your soups always look beautiful Eva – I love how you garnish. It’s lovely touches like these that really catch the eye.
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Thank you so much Kelly, I’m so flattered. I’ve always found parsnip to add such a velvety, creamy taste and mouth feel when puréed.
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Oops, just used my parsnips. Will be planting a lot this year if the weather stabilizes. Two days ago it was T-shirt weather today it is winter coat weather, not happy with all this yo-yoing weather.
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I heard the southern New Jersey was really hot this week! Sadly we’ve not had warmth at all, hoping to get there this week.
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Eva, these are probably the most beautiful photos on your blog. Beautiful presentation and I am certain, delicious soup. I also love to put such small additions of bacon to soups and other dishes: in small amounts it’s completely innocent but gives so much taste! I must try with chorizo.
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I’m very, very flattered Sissi. Thank you! The crispy fried chorizo adds a lovely punch to this soup; a bit of heat (I buy the hot chorizo) and salt round out the creamy texture and sweet taste of this soup. And by not adding a lot, you need not feel guilty about eating such a fatty protein. Win, win!
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Creamy, sweet and delicious. I have only had parsnips roasted so this is a nice way to get some extra hidden veggies in my picky teenagers
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Thank you Bam! My dear Mom had the opposite problem with me, I hardly liked meat but adored my vegetables!
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This soup looks fabulous and creamy. I wish I could be half as organized as you Eva! I love that you have leeks on hand in the freezer. How clever is that! I think I have a new veggie I have to try. 🙂 I’ve never had a parsnip before. It sure sounds good – a hint of sweetness and it comes with fiber built in…
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Thank you Kristy! I’m absolutely beaming, you’ve made my day! I really hope you’ll try this soup; but don’t buy a giant parsnip as they can get bitter. A parsnip about 1-1.5″ diameter is about as big as you should go. Oven roasting tempers the bitterness and brings out the sweetness. If you like root vegetables, you’ll like this one.
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just divine, no-one else likes parsnips here, so i would get to have this all to myself too! I had so many leeks last year and never even thought of freezing them.. terrible! c
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Lucky you C! You are so fortunate to have the land and where-with-all to grow your own food. My small city plot isn’t sunny enough, nor is my thumb green!
Leeks maintain their integrity even through freezing, so you need not purée them, but I’d be so flattered if you made them into this soup.
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Your soup looks wonderful…what would we do without immersion blenders. I like your idea of freezing leeks. That is something I could stock in my freezer when I open our cottage in Maine where you never see leeks.
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Thank you kindly Karen. Leeks maintain their texture through freezing too so you can use them whole should you wish.
Did you see Norma’s suggestion about maintaining the integrity of your freezer? It’s a great tip http://gardentowok.wordpress.com/2012/10/27/kitchen-hint-ice-cubes-versus-iceberg-freezer-food-safety/
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That’s a really smooth looking soup. I love parsnips so I think you’ve come up with an excellent alternative to potatoes. But for some reason, parsnips here are quite expensive – just like leeks! I should stop whinging and grow my own! xx
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It must be a supply/demand thing with parsnips and leeks. I live in a very European neighborhood and Europeans love parsnips, so they’re not too bad here. But leeks can be crazy expensive, so I wait for a sale or when they are local.
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I agree, Eva, this was really clever. I surely would have run to the store for potatoes — and returned with 2 bags full of impulse buys. Slicing and freezing leeks is such a great idea, too. Again, no need to run to a store. What I like about the soup, though, is that if has that smooth and velvet-y look. I love these soups and our weather is perfect for them. Oh, how I can’t wait until our weather is perfect for barbecuing!
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I hear you John, the weather just sucks (although today it’s supposed to be close to 10C here).
I’ve always found parsnips to contribute a creaminess to purées that other low carb vegetables do not; I’m surprised it took me this long to make a combo with leeks out of them. I think I could convince a cream/carb loving person to love this soup!
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A very elegant soup for such humble ingredients as leeks and parsnips. 🙂 I didn’t even THINK of slicing the leeks thinly and freezing them on a flat sheet … I happen to have a couple sitting in my fridge that need to have their lifespans extended.
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Thank you for your flattering words Maria. It did turn out to be much more elegant than I even thought it would. I’m happiest when my freezer and pantry are full with ingredients!
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I was hoping I could still get some parsnips today at our local market…sadly..I found none. The soup looks very smooth and delicious.
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They are a winter vegetable aren’t they, too bad that you couldn’t find them. You’ll have to wait for next year; I look forward to hearing what you thought if this combo, Angie.
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Ring around the leeks – I am sold! I love parsnips and Jim winters them in the garden – for some inexplicable reason they don’t freeze during winter and so we have a large supply for about 9 months of the year. This is how I will make the soup next time. I still eat potatoes -valuable nutrients – just not as much or as often as before. I am looking forward to making this for Jim he is always pleased when I use the fruits of his garden in new ways! Eva you ARE good.
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Thank you kindly Zsuzsa. I’m not much of a vegetable gardener and I totally envy those who are, particularly if their husbands are (not getting dirt under finger nails)! I was very pleased with the results of this soup, to the point that I won’t make it with potatoes again.
I do eat potatoes but not often; in fact I had a few bites last night at my favourite French restaurant Le Select! They serve the BEST frites with steak tartare! JT finished them off which ended my temptation quickly.
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Looks delicious Eva. Just the ticket when coming back from a nice long walk.
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Thanks David, you have me thinking that this ‘soup’ if left thicker can make an incredible base for a thick saucy meat. Of course, you’d have to swipe it across the plate in a fanciful pattern like you do so exceptionally and professionally well.
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That is a beautiful looking soup. It looks like it has a beautiful texture.
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Thank you kindly Minnie; oven roasted parsnips purée to a very creamy texture indeed.
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I love potato and leek soup and can’t wait to try making your version with roasted parsnips. And thanks for the tip on freezing the leeks. I’m going to try that!
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Thank Michela, I am so pleased that you’re going to try this recipe, I actually prefer the parsnips to potatoes. Don’t get a too large parsnip though, they can be bitter even through roasting. I love the flavour of roasted parsnip so it seemed like a match to the leeks.
Ahhh yes, I love to keep my freezer well fed, I have a lot of tricks like that up my sleeve (from my dear Mom, of course).
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That looks like velvet in a bowl. What a clever idea!
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Thank you so much Maureen. The texture of creamed leeks and parsnips is really wonderful.
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This soup is utterly beautiful as if your photography 😀
Great vegetable combination!
Cheers
CCU
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Thanks so much CCU, it’s always a pleasure hearing from you.
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