Curried Parsnip Soup With Green Peas

SOUP’S ON WINNERS!
A great big thank you to everyone who entered our SOUP’S ON contest. We are pleased to announce Manni Newell's Curried Parsnip & Green Pea Soup as a runner up.

  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • tbsp olive oil or extra virgin coconut oil
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
  • 1 piece (1 inch/2.5cm) cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups basic vegetable stock or homemade chicken stock
  • 4 cups sliced peeled parsnips (1 lb/500g)
  • 2 tsp curry powder, dissolved in 4 tsp (20 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 cups sweet green peas, thawed if frozen
  • 1/3 cup whipping (35%) cream or coconut milk

1. In a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast cumin & coriander seeds, stirring, until fragrant & cumin seeds just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a mortar or a spice grinder & grind. Set aside.
2. In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add onions & cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 min. Add garlic, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaf & reserved cumin & coriander & cook, stirring for 1 min. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware (minimum 5 quart size). Add vegetable stock & parsnips & stir well.
3. Cover & cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours, until parsnips are tender. Discard cinnamon stick & bay leaf.
4. Working in batches, puree soup in a food processor or blender. (You can also do this in the stoneware using an immersion blender) Return to slow cooker stoneware. Add curry powder solution, green peas & whipping cream. Cover & cook on HIGH for 20 minutes, until peas are tender & cream is heated through. THE BEST!

(If you averse to this much dairy fat substitute coconut milk, plain yogurt or a bit of soy creamer.)

Of Soup and Love...

  • Old Spanish proverb: "Of soup and love, the first is best!"
  • Soup can be traced back to almost 6000 BC. The first recorded soup was said to be made from hippopotamus and the hearts of five sparrows.
  • Despite it's French name, vichyssoise (cold potato soup) was first prepared in New York City at the Ritz Carlton Hotel (albeit by French Chef Lois Diat who was born near Vichy, France).
  • The word soup is said to come from the word "sop", which was said to be a stewlike dish where bread was used for sopping up the liquid.
  • Dr. John T. Torrance invented the first condensed soup in 1897 while working as a chemist for the Campbell Soup Company.