Vegan Parsnip and Carrot Soup

Always Start with a Mirepoix

Any good soup starts off with a mirepoix base of minced carrots, celery, and onions. Start by adding three tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven. Then, add one half minced white onion, four peeled carrots, and three celery stalks. This base is the fundamental foundation of French cooking- and for a good reason. The base yields a balanced flavor profile that is easy to build off of.

Now for the Other Veggies

Cook the mirepoix for roughly seven minutes over medium-high heat. The onions should be translucent before adding any other vegetables.

Next, mince three cloves of garlic and add to the pot with three large parsnips that have been peeled and chopped. Like carrots, parsnips have a rough exterior. When peeled, parsnips cook slightly faster but also can be pureed into a smoother consistency.

Add one tablespoon of chopped leeks and two teaspoons of freshly minced ginger. While we don’t add very many leeks, the leeks pair well with the mirepoix and parsnips. Furthermore, leeks are also in season in spring, so they’re a great vegetable to utilize in your cooking. Cook the vegetables down, stirring to prevent burning for roughly five minutes.

The Flavor Profile

Once the vegetables have cooked down, it’s time to enhance the flavor profile. Start by adding one tablespoon of lemongrass paste. The paste gives the soup a hint of Asian flavors, plus it pairs beautifully with the ginger. Add two teaspoons of lemon juice to give the soup a touch of acidity. Then add one tablespoon of turmeric, two teaspoons of black pepper, two teaspoons ground ginger, two teaspoons garlic powder, one teaspoon salt, and one teaspoon cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper is the perfect bit of heat this soup needs without overpowering it.

Add one can of coconut milk and four cups of vegetable broth to the soup. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Allow the soup to simmer for roughly 25 to 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to deepen and further develop.

Time to Blend and Serve!

After the soup has simmered for the allotted time, remove from heat. To puree the soup, it’s easiest to use an immersion blender so you don’t have to transfer the soup to a food processor or blender- but either will work fine. Blend thoroughly until all of the vegetables are pureed and the soup has a thick, creamy consistency.

Serve into bowls and top with dairy-free Greek yogurt, fresh micro greens, and red chili flakes. I also like to serve my soup with a side of gluten-free sourdough bread. But you can also use crackers.

Finally, serve warm and enjoy!