Thursday, November 15, 2007

Thursday

Cream of parsnip soup (recipe in the comments)
Grilled gruyere and tomato sandwiches on pumpernickel

Hot tea
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This soup is a new recipe we decided to do as a vegetarian entree for Thanksgiving. We have decided to scale back a bit on prep the day of Thanksgiving and wanted to make something ahead that we could defrost on the day. Well, I dare say, we have knocked it out of the park. This soup is AMAZING. It has a perfect earthy, fall-y taste. It's very filling and the flecks of green parsley give it just the right visual appeal. I have to admit that I had never used parsnips before (criminal for a foodie, and a veggie oriented foodie, I know), but our first experience was wholly successful and we will be dipping into the parsnip well again!

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Celery, onion, sage, parsnips, tomatoes
Time: 1 hour
Make ahead: We hope the soup will be great made ahead as we froze half of it! The grilled cheese is best made last minute.

Reaction
J: "I've realized I'm a parsnip fanatic."
M: " 'Grilled cheese is for the kids menu'? Oh no, I don't think so."

2 comments:

J said...

Cream of Parsnip Soup – M & J (inspired by Whole Foods)
Serves 4

½ T olive oil
1 T butter
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 T chopped fresh sage
3 ½ cups peeled, coarsely chopped parsnips (about 10 small)
¾ cup sherry wine
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¾ cup half-and-half
Fresh cracked pepper
4 T minced parsley

Heat olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add celery, onion, sage and parsnips. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sherry, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Add vegetable broth, water, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until parsnips are completely tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and puree well with an immersion blender (also called a stick blender, if you don’t have one allow soup to cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender). Stir in half-and-half and reheat gently over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add cracked pepper and parsley to each bowl just before serving.

Unknown said...

Had this soup at Thanksgiving and I would have been happy to give up the turkey altogether! This is really spectacular.