Parsnips are one of Ireland’s oldest vegetables and are often the basis for sweet dishes combined with fruit. This long, white vegetable is especially popular in winter, after the first frost of the year converts its starch to sugar and gives it a pleasant sweetness. It is a traditional ingredient in Irish soups. This recipe, a variation of which is found in many Irish pubs, contrasts the sweetness of parsnips with the tartness of Granny Smith apples. Serve it topped with Blue Cheese Toasts, if desired, or homemade croutons.
SERVES 4 TO 6
6 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
1 medium onion, chopped
5 parsnips, peeled and chopped
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups homemade vegetable stock, canned low-sodium vegetable broth, or 6 vegetable bouillon cubes mixed with 6 cups boiling water
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup half-and-half
Minced fresh chives for garnish
Blue Cheese Toasts (optional, facing page)
1 In a stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft but not browned. Add the parsnips, apples, and potato and stir well to coat. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook the vegetables, stirring once or twice, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the apples begin to break up. Uncover, add the stock or broth, curry powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Re-cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
2 Working in batches, transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. (Or purée in the pot with an immersion blender.) Return the soup to the pot, whisk in the half-and-half, and adjust the seasoning. Simmer until heated through.
3 To serve, ladle the soup into shallow bowls, sprinkle with chives, and top with 2 Blue Cheese Toasts, if desired.
1 baguette or another type of French bread
⅓ cup plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup blue cheese, preferably Irish
1 Preheat the broiler. Cut eight to ten ½-inch-thick slices from a baguette.
2 Toast the slices on a rack under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat, turning them once, or until lightly toasted. Remove from the broiler and brush the slices on each side with the ⅓ cup of olive oil.
3 In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Spread the mixture evenly over one side of each slice of toast. Broil the toasts on a baking sheet for 1 minute, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
