Duo of Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup Shooters

Inspiration comes from the oddest places sometimes.  One day last week, one of my sons missed the bus.  Ughh!  Haven't we all been there?  So Lily and I had to really hustle to load up and get him to school on time (yes, in pajamas).  Did I mention it was super cold, dark, blustery and raining?  Anyway, on the way there, Lily started talking about farmers.  We were discussing all the reasons why they are so important to us, and all the wonderful products that they bring us.  When I mentioned growing carrots, the next thing that popped out of Lily's mouth was... "And don't forget parsnips!  Carrots AND parsnips!"  I suppose that I roast these two together so much (see my Roasted Carrots and Parsnips) that my kids automatically think of this duo as a natural team.   I should also mention that when the weather is cold and miserable, I have been conditioned since childhood to think of having a nice comforting soup.  So at her suggestion, a little light bulb in my brain yelled "YES!  Roasted Carrots and Parsnips.... in a soup!  Let's do this!!"  And now here we are!

At the risk of having a boring soup, I have taken the liberty of making these a little more exciting!  So I am bringing you a Curried Roasted Carrot Soup with a Gingered Roasted Parsnip Soup.  Together, these flavors are evocative of the warm and exotic flavors of Indian cuisine.. creamy and rich, yet light all at the same time.  This duo would make an excellent appetizer soup as a first course for a dinner party.  Don't worry, they aren't spicy... just yummmmm!  Yes, parsnips can be a little spicy, but the roasting makes both the parsnips and the carrots so wonderful and sweet.

Curried Carrot Soup -

• 4 cups chopped carrots
  
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped from stems
• 3 cloves garlic
• EVOO + kosher salt + pepper for roasting
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
• 1/6 cup celery, chopped fine
• 3/4 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup half and half

Gingered Parsnip Soup -

• 3 cups parsnips, peeled and sliced
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped from stems
• 3 cloves garlic
• EVOO + kosher salt + pepper for roasting
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
• 1/6 cup celery, chopped fine
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup half and half

Garnish for both -

• light sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
• fresh dill sprigs

Step-by-Step:

Prep - This part can be done in advance, with the roasted veggies being stored in the refrigerator.  Peel and cut the carrots and parsnips into about 1/4" pieces.  Season them with some EVOO, kosher salt, and black pepper.  Add whole garlic cloves and some fresh thyme leaves to the sheet pan.  Roast them all together for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.  They should be soft with a slightly caramelized edge, and taste sweeter.  Not only the carrots and parsnips will be sweeter, but also the roasted garlic.  Roasting takes the "bite" out of it, making it way more mellow.

4 cups carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" pieces

3 cups parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1/4" pieces

You may want to rotate the pans halfway through.  My pans were too large to put both of them on the same level.

Now to put the soups together -

Saute the onions and celery in butter in a saucepan.  This will be base for both, so you can do it together and split them, or do them separately.  I sauteed the onions and celery together before separating them.

3 Tbsp butter (or 1 1/2 Tbsp to each pot)

1/2 cup onion (or 1/4 cup to each pot), diced

I always keep chopped celery in the freezer.  It's so convenient!

1/3 cup total (1/6 cup to each) of chopped celery. 

 

At this point, if you have sauteed the veggies together, separate them into two pots.

For the parsnip soup, add fresh ginger that has been peeled and finely minced.

1 1/2 tsp ginger, peeled and finely minced

For the carrot soup, add the curry powder.

3/4 tsp curry powder added to the pot for the carrot soup

Allow those flavors to marry together with the sauteed vegetables a few minutes, then deglaze with chicken stock.   You could easily make this vegetarian by using a vegetable stock if you wish.

2 cups chicken broth added to each pot

Add the roasted vegetables to the appropriate pots.  Season with a bit of salt and let them cook about 5 minutes.  All we are doing here is allowing all the flavors to come together.  The veggies are already done.  

Add the roasted veggies to each pot, respectively

1/4 tsp kosher salt added to each pot

Curried Carrot

Gingered Parsnip

Now - time for some fun!  

Add the contents of the soup (one at a time), to a food processor.   You could also use an immersion blender to do this right in the pot.  You could use a blender, but please be very careful and let the soups cool first if you do.  Hot soup in a blender can be an explosive situation.  Take it from me!   Process until smooth.  Add the water to thin it.  You could also add the water once you put the puree back in the pot if you are using a food processor with a smaller bowl.

curried carrot soup

1 cup water added to each

Repeat for the other soup.

gingered parsnip soup

return the purees back to their pots.

For the final touch, add the half and half to each pureed soup.  Adjust seasonings as you see fit.

1/2 cup half and half to the carrot soup

1/4 cup half and half to the parsnip soup

This soup can be served hot or cold.  Your choice.  To make the "duo" as I have, pour each one at the same time into your shooters or bowl from opposite sides (at the same rate, obviously).  Garnish with a dab of sour cream and a fresh sprig of dill.  That big of tangy, creamy sour cream really brings this soup up a new level!

I also sliced up a baguette of French bread, then buttered and toasted them up in a griddle pan to serve along with the soup.  If you are serving the soup in a bowl, these are great for "dunking" in the soup!

Of course you can serve the soup in a bowl, too!

I hope you have enjoyed this recipe. 
If you are curious as to what else I have up my sleeve, pop on over to my Recipe Index to go shopping for some more great recipes!

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Brady's Brussels Sprouts Hash

This is a "guest post" of sorts.  This recipe was created by my son, Brady.  They may be the best Brussels sprouts I've ever had.  It is so wonderful having people in your life who can put together a meal, and who can bring a kernel of an idea into fruition of a fabulous dish!

First of all, let's be honest.  Caramelized onions and bacon would be good on a flip flop, so you know they will be great in this dish!  But the rest of the flavor profile is spot on; and the first time he made this, the two of us stood there eating it out of the pan.  We love fresh roasted Brussels sprouts here, and we're always looking for new ways to prepare them.  Last weekend I planted some out in the garden, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll have a bumper crop!

Click for Printable Recipe

Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 1/2 pound of fresh Brussels sprouts
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 small onions (about 2 cups sliced)
• 2 oz pine nuts, dry toasted
• 4 strips cooked bacon, cut into pieces
• 3 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano + more for plating
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste 

Step-by-Step:

Prep all the ingredients first.  Shave the Brussels sprouts on the mandolin, using the "stem" as a handle. 

1/2 pound of fresh Brussels sprouts

We always use fresh Brussels sprouts... never frozen or canned.  I just feel good buying fresh ingredients for my family.  We also prefer the taste of fresh produce when it's available.

Please be careful when allowing your children to use the mandolin.  It is extremely sharp, but an excellent way to get super thin, consistent slices.

Slice the onions very thinly.

2 small onions (about 2 cups sliced)

Toast your nuts. Brady used pine nuts, but other nuts would be just as nice.  These were dry toasted until golden.  Watch them carefully.  Don't skip this step.... the toasted nuts have a completely different taste than the raw ones.

2 oz pine nuts, dry toasted

Cook and chop the bacon.   He cut them into about 1/2" pieces.

4 strips cooked bacon, cut into pieces

Caramelized the onions in the butter.  Bring them up to a bit of color on a medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low/low for about 15/20 minutes until they are beautiful and brown and sweet. 

Once they onions are pretty much caramelized, add in the shaved Brussels sprouts.  Cook on medium for a few minutes. 

Add in the other ingredients and adjust seasonings.  He started with 3 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar..

The smoky bacon pieces

The kosher salt

The grated Parmesan

3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano

Looking great, huh?

Toasted pine nuts

2 oz pine nuts, dry toasted

Olive oil

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

To serve, finish the dish with a little extra Parmesan at the very end.

The kitchen master!  He has the "stance" of a professional chef... focused and meticulously adjusting his seasonings until they are just perfect!

Seriously, if you could only taste these flavors!

Okay, so this doesn't have a whole lot to do with the Brussels sprouts hash, but we served it with beef medallions, so I thought I'd pass that along.  I have one reader who always writes to ask me about the preparation of other dishes that I serve my recipes with.... So this is for you, Beth!  :) I love this cut because it is super tender, and super lean.  If you prefer something else, go for it!

2 beef filets

We're going to slice them into beautiful medallions, so they will cook really quickly.  It will also spread out the meat, which stretches your dollar!  I mean seriously, these filets are like little roasts.  We don't really need to eat THAT much at a time!

Allow your beef to come to room temperature.  Basically, just take them out when you start the hash.  This will give you more even cooking.  Season well on both sides.  Oh - another thing... make sure your meat is dry on the outside in order to get the best sear.

Montreal steak seasoning

I'm using my grill pan for these, and butter.  Yep.  Butter.  Don't shoot me!

1 - 2 Tbsp butter

You want your pan really really hot!  And remember, these guys are thin now (and no longer cold in the middle), so they only take a couple of minutes on each side to cook to a medium.   Also, they will continue to rise in temperature a bit while they are resting.

Ok, so there's not a really great way to make shaved Brussels sprouts look pretty, but please trust me when I tell you that these were amazing!  If you have someone in your family who says they don't like them, this would be a great recipe to introduce them to!  I would put this meal on any restaurant menu out there!

I sure am proud of Brady and his awesome recipe creation!  In case you are wondering, he's 14!  He made me a deal one day that if I picked him up from school (rather than riding home on the bus), he would help me cook.  And this is what he came up with!  REALLY?!! 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe!  You can Click over to the Recipe Index for tons more great recipes of all sorts!  If you've not done so already, Click here to Subscribe to MenuMusings so you can be part of the rapidly growing community!  And you can also join me on the MenuMusings Facebook Page!

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