Silky, slightly sweet parsnips and crisp apples meld into a velvety, gently spiced soup.
The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with undertones of nutty browned butter and aromatic sage.
Serve warm as a starter for autumn dinners or as a comforting lunch with rustic bread.
Garnish with toasted hazelnuts and fried sage leaves for crunch and a fragrant finish.
Ingredients
- Parsnips (1 lb / 450 g), peeled and roughly chopped
- Apples (2 medium, tart variety), peeled, cored, and chopped
- Yellow onion (1 medium), chopped
- Garlic (2 cloves), minced
- Unsalted butter (3 tbsp)
- Olive oil (1 tbsp)
- Fresh sage leaves (10–12 leaves)
- Fresh thyme leaves (1 tsp) or 1/2 tsp dried
- Vegetable or chicken stock (4 cups / 1 L)
- Whole milk or single cream (1/2 cup / 120 ml)
- Lemon juice (1 tbsp)
- Salt (1 to 1 1/2 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Toasted hazelnuts (1/3 cup, chopped), for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat until the butter foams.
- Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic, chopped parsnips and apples; cook, stirring, until edges begin to caramelize, about 6–8 minutes.
- Stir in thyme, then add the stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and cook until parsnips are very tender, about 18–22 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter in a small skillet over medium heat until it turns golden and fragrant to make brown butter. Fry a few sage leaves in the browned butter until crisp and set aside.
- When the vegetables are cooked, remove the pot from heat. Purée the soup until smooth with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender, then return to the pot.
- Stir in milk or cream and lemon juice, warm gently without boiling, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust consistency with extra stock if needed.
- Ladle into bowls, drizzle with the reserved brown butter, scatter toasted hazelnuts and fried sage leaves on top, and serve hot.
Tips or Variations
- Swap cream for full-fat coconut milk to make a dairy-free version with a subtle coconut note.
- Roast parsnips and apples at 425°F (220°C) for 20–25 minutes for deeper caramelization before adding to the pot.
