Soup Season To Warm Up is Beginning

[Alexandria Profile]

Soup is simply a traditional and soothing way to keep the chill away.

At today´s Farmer´s Market early this morning at the foothills of the Pyrenées, on the Costa Brava, I was able to pick up off white colored parsnips which are not easily available south of this region .. And orange carrots, sour not shiny wild pale red and pale celery green colored apples, blackberries, rasberries and wild celery colored with splashes of golden brown non shiny Pears .. and of course, Dad bought some remarkable seasonal un-cultivated wild Mushrooms from a dear collaborator on their foraging expeditions who is a professor at an agriculture institute in the zone ..

So, a Parsnip soup is on the stove top ..

Recipe Serves 4:

30 Grams of French butter 82%
2 tiny onions or 2 small shallots minced
500 grams of parsnips
1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock ( the consommé ) from scratch
125 Ml. whole Milk ( bio or eco or whatever you prefer )
2 tablespoons of fresh diced parlsey ( garnish )
Now one can use 100 Ml. of cream or 2 small potatoes peeled and boiled to provide a creamier texture to the soup
2 orange traditional carrot peeled and diced
Salt of choice and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1 tsp of Dijon Mustard of choice .. or a pinch of curry or ginger ..


1) Melt the butter in a large Dutch Oven and sauté the onions or shallots on a low flame or low heat and stir with wooden spatula until very light golden.
2) Now add the consommé and place on a medium simmer ..
3) Then, add the diced parsnips and carrots and cover the pot ..
4) Simmer on a low to medium heat for approx 25 minutes or until the parsnips are tender ( but not mushy )
5) Then add the milk and the potato or the cream ( I use a small potato or 2 ) & add the salt and fresh black pepper.
6) Heat until the soup thickens and then let cool ..
7) With a stand up mixer, slowly mix the soup until a velvety texture ..
8) Re heat the velvety textured parsnip soup ( sopa de Chirivía ) on a very very low flame ..
9) Ready to serve in a couple of minutes and garnish with the diced finely parsley or herbs that you prefer ..


I drink mine in a large ceramic (mud clay = barro ) terracotta mug ..

The use of the two carrots provide a stunning very light pumpkin color ..

Simply superbly splendid ..

[Amyw Profile]

What measurement is 1 DI please?

I prefer my root veg soup with spices added it to it and maybe some lentils or bacon to add depth

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I like spices in mine too, Amy! A roasted root vegetable soup with ras-al-hanout is a thing to die for!

1 Dl. is a deciltre, I believe: 1/10th litre ( 100 mls?)

[mark111757 Profile]

Hey guys

From the conversion sites I saw on line, yes 1DL is 100 mls. I don't recall seeing DL before.

in have noted in recipes from France that 75 CL is popular, that equals 750 mls or the quantity of some bottles of wine.

[Joanbunting Profile]

I have used jane Grigson's recipe for curried parsnip soup for years:
http://www.larecettedujour.org/2011/10/ ... p-soup.php
Another favourite in this house is carrot and coriander with a garnish of escabeche mussels - Spanish and from a tin! It is delicious and easy but smart enough for guests.

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,

Thank you for the link ..

Definitely appreciate it ..

[Alexandria Profile]

To All Visitors,

Since this soup was prepared very quickly by me at my parents, before a 2 hour drive, returning to Barcelona, I made an error in the amount of the broth used and did not roast the parsnips, which I normally do ..

It is 1 litre and NOT 1 deci litre ..

Turned out lovely despite the non roasting ..

Have a nice day ..

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I´m not a great soup person; it´s not that I dislike it, it´s simply that it´s very hot out here.
Today, however, I was going to make something with some haricot beans....then realised I had no tomatoes. So I made soup; a sort of Minestrone hybrid, with diced potato, onions, a few cloves of garlic, celery and chopped carrots.
It´s all gone!

[Alexandria Profile]

Karakoolaide,

Many people think that the Costa Brava is sub tropical. It is not at all.

Autumn temperatures range from Indian Summer ( 22 - 25 Centig degrees in mid day but mornings are quite chilly 10 - 13 Centig degrees ) and winters are brisk and cold, and temperatures drop down to approx 0 degrees centig to 5 or 6 degrees and we do get quite a bit of snow as well ..

So, soup is a good warmer and also very soothing too ..

Have a lovely day ..

[Joanbunting Profile]

People think the same about Provence Member 461!

How wrong can you get?

We Can have a range of +40C to, one year, -15C. The , of course , wehave the Mistral.
However it's never boring. I make a lot of soups. Chilled in the summer and hearty and warming from now until spring.

[Alexandria Profile]

Joan,

Yes, I know !! My husband has family in both Marseille and Le Salon de Provençe ( which is quite a bit colder than Marseille ) ..

Summers are hot and dry and temperatures soar up to 40 - 45 Centig degrees and one would literally prefer The Sahara !!

Winters are quite cold .. 0 Degrees Centig to 7 Centig. and if lucky a sunny 15 Degrees Centig day ..


I too, like soups, cold and hot ones .. Soothing and healing to the system ..

Have a lovely day ..