A lovely soup—creamy without dairy or potatoes. The first spoonful is so good; then you taste all the different flavors as they unfurl on your palate.
These three sturdy root vegetables have become common winter fare in farmers’ markets, CSAs, and supermarkets. They are excellent keepers when kept cool and dry, and combine well as a satisfying stick-to-your-ribs winter soup. This soup is vegan, but if you’re not, you might like the richness that a couple tablespoons of butter added at the end give it. We advise prepping all the ingredients before you begin to cook the soup.
Yields 8 cups
Serves 4 to 6
Time: 1 hour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons ground coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons dried basil
2 cups diced carrots
1½ cups peeled and diced parsnips
2 cups peeled and chopped celeriac
½ cup peeled and chopped apples
5 cups water
Warm the oil in a soup pot on medium heat. Then add the onions, garlic, coriander, pepper, salt, and dried basil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, celeriac, and apples and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 to 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if the vegetables stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour in the water and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, purée the soup until smooth. Add more water if the soup is too thick.
Serve with Mushroom Barley Salad, or Mediterranean Potato Salad, or Farro Pilaf with Cannellini and Arugula.