Give parsnips a chance; that’s my new motto. I know, I know, it sounds a little bit crazy, but y’all seriously need to get over your hate of all things parsnips and give them a sincere chance to win your heart as well as your taste buds over. Not only are they extremely affordable and hardy, but they also have a licorice-like taste that is seriously unique. Thankfully, this month’s “Root Vegetable” themed Soup Saturday Swappers, hosted by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, presented me with the perfect excuse to highlight this much ignored and often neglected root vegetable.
You never know if you’re going to like something unless you try it. I’ll be the first to admit that there are lots of things I don’t like in this world, however, I will admit that I am always willing to give something a chance before I completely condemn it. For example, most of the foods I don’t prefer to eat actually have more to do with how they affect my body than how they actually taste. I would gladly chomp down on green peppers, cucumbers, and tomatoes all day long if they didn’t insist on having such a negative effect on my digestion, not to mention my ability to actually function as a normal human being.
Thankfully, parsnips have never had an ill effect on my constitution. If anything, they’ve had the complete opposite effect. Need proof? B.O.B. Bob and I ate this creamy non-dairy soup very late at night one day this week. Yes, I know, most people frown upon this practice, however, we are busy little bees, and often don’t manage to grab something for dinner before nine o’clock on most days. Anyway, I would have thought the spice in this soup would have had an ill effect, perhaps even causing heartburn. Nope. Not a single sign of indigestion. If anything, I actually slept like a baby, which for me, is seriously rare. Just one more reason to jump on the parsnip bandwagon.
So, the next time you’re at the market, grab a bag of parsnips. You can substitute them into almost any recipe where you would normally use carrots or potatoes; get creative. I think we should all be determined to give parsnips a chance. Really, it’s such a simple little thing to do and I think they deserve it. They’ve been forced to hang out in the background for way too long and it’s time for them to shine in the spotlight. Don’t make me have to trot up and down the street with a sign screaming “Give Parsnips a Chance” to get your attention, ’cause I’ll do it if I have to. Those little cream-colored root vegetables deserve to be noticed.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Sweet Yellow Onion, Finely Diced
- 1 (16-oz.) Bag Parsnips, Peeled & Diced
- 1 (32-oz.) Carton Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sage
- 2 Chorizo Sausage Links
- Fresh Sage, Finely Chopped
Directions:
- Saute the olive oil and diced onion in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the parsnips, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and ground sage to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to low and cover.
- Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, grill the sausage until cooked through and browned on the outside.
- In small batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth.
- Finely dice the chorizo and use it to garnish the soup before serving along with the fresh sage.
Suggestions:
- Don’t buy cheap chorizo. If you have an ethnic market in your area, visit it and inquire about which chorizo has less fat but is still full of flavor.
- Fresh sage is pretty potent; a little goes a long way. Remember this when garnishing the finished soup.
- You may choose to swap in another variety of sausage all together in this recipe. That’s perfectly understandable. Just make sure to search for a sausage with some serious flavor, so that it doesn’t get overpowered by the parsnips. Spicy Italian sausage is just one example.
Improvements:
- If you’re not afraid of a little dairy, add a half a cup of heavy whipping cream to the soup while blending it.
- Top this soup with shredded cheese. I’m thinking perhaps cheddar, queso fresco, or pepper jack, however, you can use whatever cheese floats your boat.
- Use this 5-Speed Hand Blender to blend the soup in lieu of a traditional blender. One day, I seriously plan on investing in one of these little gadgets. This particular one has quite a few rave reviews.
- Sage isn’t just for use in the kitchen. Try using these White Sage Smudge Sticks to rid your home of negative energies and restore balance. It may sound a bit kooky, however, I believe, that doing something is better than doing nothing at all. At the very least, your house will smell phenomenal.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Sweet Yellow Onion, Finely Diced
- 1 (16-oz.) Bag Parsnips, Peeled & Diced
- 1 (32-oz.) Carton Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sage
- 2 Chorizo Sausage Links
- Fresh Sage, Finely Chopped
Directions:
- Saute the olive oil and diced onion in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the parsnips, chicken broth, salt, pepper, and ground sage to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to low and cover.
- Cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, grill the sausage until cooked through and browned on the outside.
- In small batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth.
- Finely dice the chorizo and use it to garnish the soup before serving along with the fresh sage.
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Soup Saturday Swappers is a group of friends who get together on the third Saturday of each month to share their favorite soup and stew recipes based on a theme chosen by one of the members. To join Soup Saturday Swappers you can send an email to wendyklik1517@gmail.com. Visit our Pinterest board to find more great soup and stew recipes.
