Spiced Parsnip Soup with Coconut and Fresh Herbs

📝 What you need

Ingredients

Parsnips are at their best from late summer through early spring. Choose medium-sized parsnips to avoid a woody core.

Curry powder is a convenient blend that speeds this recipe along. If you prefer to compose your own mix, ground coriander, turmeric and cumin make a great base—add chilli to taste.

Vegetable stock provides the liquid base; check labels if you need to avoid dairy-derived ingredients.

Vegan cream gives the soup a smooth, luxurious finish. Use any plant-based cream or a plant milk if you want a lighter texture.

Equipment

No specialist kit is required, but a way to blend the soup to a silky texture is important. A stick (immersion) blender is quick and convenient for puréeing directly in the pan. Alternatively, use a countertop blender or food processor, then return the soup to the saucepan.

👩🏽‍🍳 Variations

Try one of these simple tweaks:

• Faster method: skip roasting and cook everything in the saucepan. Fry the onion, garlic and curry powder first, add the parsnips and stock, simmer until tender, then add cream and blend. The flavour will be good, though less caramelised than roasting.
• Lighter: replace cream with plant milk.
• Mix it up: swap or add other roots such as celeriac, sweet potato, butternut squash, potato or Jerusalem artichokes for different textures and flavours.

👩🏽‍🍳 How to make your parsnip soup

For a printable recipe with full ingredient amounts and timings, see the recipe card below.

Peel and cut the parsnips into wedges. Peel and thickly slice the onion. Toss parsnips, onion and whole unpeeled garlic cloves in oil, curry powder, salt and pepper in a roasting tin. Roast until the parsnips are golden and tender.

Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins and discard the skins. Tip the roasted veg into a saucepan of hot stock, simmer briefly, then blend until very smooth. Stir in the vegan cream, adjust seasoning, and serve. For parsnip crisps, shave thin strips with a peeler and fry gently until just golden, draining on paper to keep them crisp.

🔪 Top Tips and FAQs

Blend longer for a silkier texture. Keep puréeing for a couple of minutes rather than stopping as soon as it looks smooth; the extra blending makes the soup velvety. For an ultra-refined finish, pass the soup through a fine sieve.

Adjust the spice level. Use a mild curry powder or reduce the amount if you prefer less heat, or add extra chilli for more warmth.

Yes. Portion and freeze the soup for quick lunches—reheat from frozen in the microwave or on the stove until steaming.

Parsnips work well in many dishes: roasted as a side, mashed into a creamy purée, or combined with other vegetables in soups, stews and mains. Try parsnip-forward curries or bakes for variety.

🍽 If you liked that…

…you might enjoy other hearty vegan soups and mains that pair well with these flavours.

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Curried Parsnip Soup

Kate Ford | The Veg Space

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