Roasted Parsnip and Pear Soup

Name: Roasted Parsnip and Pear Soup
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8 servings (2-1/4 quarts).
Ingredients: 1-1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 3 medium pears, peeled and chopped; 1/4 cup butter, cubed; 3 medium leeks (white portion only), thinly sliced; 2 celery ribs, chopped; 3 shallots, chopped; 6 cups chicken broth; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; TOPPING:; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 medium pears, thinly sliced; 2 teaspoons brown sugar; 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

Once peeled, parsnips may turn dark when exposed to air, so be sure to roast them right after they're chopped. If you want to get a head start on prep, store peeled and chopped parsnips in acidulated water (just add a bit of lemon or lime juice or vinegar to water).—Sara Petrie, Grassie, Ontario

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 medium pears, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3 medium leeks (white portion only), thinly sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
TOPPING:
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium pears, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Place parsnips in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; toss with oil, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Roast 25 minutes. Stir in pears; roast 15-20 minutes longer or until tender, stirring occasionally.
In a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks, celery and shallots; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until tender. Stir in parsnip mixture, broth, maple syrup, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
For topping, in a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients; cook and stir 2-4 minutes or until pears are crisp-tender.
Remove bay leaf from soup. Process soup in batches in a blender until smooth; return to pan. Stir in cream; heat through. Top servings with sliced pears.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 358 calories, 19g fat (10g saturated fat), 47mg cholesterol, 911mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (25g sugars, 7g fiber), 4g protein.

Originally published as Roasted Parsnip Pear and Maple Soup in Taste of Home November 2011

Reviews

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mmdoogie

Nov 12, 2013

My girlfriend and I love this recipe. The flavor is very complex, but still smooth and comforting. I make it basically as shown, but with 1 lb of parsnips, and I use a glass baking dish to cook the parsnips in and haven't had any issues with time or temperature.
lisakj

Dec 4, 2011

Good recipe. I did add extra spice to the soup...a pinch of cayenne and curry powder and extra pepper.
Lischen

Dec 4, 2011

It seemed too sweet and was lacking flavor. Added additional fresh herbs and seasoning to resuce it but my guests still didn't enjoy it
MMMMMJames

Nov 26, 2011

After i blended it smooth i just popped it in a crock pot.Add the milk a few minutes before plateing.
ktbluestein

Nov 6, 2011

We made this as a trial run as the app. course for Christmas dinner. It was quite good, sweet and savory. It was hearty so the serving sizes are small. Suggestions include turning down the heat of the oven. After 25 minutes of 425 deg heat, my parsnips were nearly burnt on the bottom. I turned the oven down to 350 when I added the pears and cut the time from 25 min. to 10, which was plenty.