Description
A hearty and comforting country harvest root vegetable soup made with a blend of root vegetables, aromatic spices, and finished with cream. Perfect for warming up on chilly days and served with crusty bread for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped into large dice
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 litre (6 cups) water
- 2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup thickened cream (heavy cream or regular), plus extra for garnish
Root Vegetables
- 1 large potato (~300g/10oz), peeled, cut into 2.5cm/1" cubes
- 1 medium sweet potato (350g/12oz), peeled, cut into 2.5cm/1" cubes
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5" pieces
- 1 small/medium parsnip (150g/5oz), peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5" pieces
- 1 small celeriac (600g/1.2 lb), peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5" pieces (~2 heaped cups)
Serving/Garnish (optional)
- Warm crusty bread
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Pinch extra curry powder
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté: Put the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, cook the chopped onion and garlic for 2 minutes until the onion is softened.
- Add Vegetables and Spices: Add the cubed root vegetables, dried thyme, and curry powder to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the outside of the vegetables starts to soften.
- Simmer: Increase stove heat to high. Add water, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine, then once it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-high and let it simmer rapidly for 15 minutes with no lid until all the vegetables are soft when tested with a knife.
- Add Cream and Heat: Stir in the thickened cream and continue to simmer for 1 minute to incorporate the cream fully into the soup.
- Blend: Remove the pot from heat. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until smooth. To avoid splattering, blend in batches by removing the lid insert and covering the hole with a folded tea towel.
- Adjust and Serve: Adjust the soup consistency by adding water if too thick, and season with extra salt, pepper, or cream to taste. Serve hot in bowls, drizzled with extra cream, a pinch of curry powder, freshly chopped parsley, and a pinch of black pepper. Accompany with warm crusty bread.
Notes
- Use regular grocery store curry powder for a mild and interesting flavor; it enhances without dominating the soup.
- Substitute dried thyme with fresh thyme, oregano, Italian herb mix, or herbes de Provence for varied flavor.
- If cream is not available, substitute with 1/3 cup milk plus 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter for richness.
- Feel free to swap root vegetables or add pumpkin for a different flavor profile. Note that parsnip and celeriac have stronger flavors and may dominate if increased too much.
- Non-root vegetables can be used but expect a thinner, less creamy soup due to higher water content.
- Blend in batches and cover the blender hole with a folded tea towel to prevent splattering during blending.
- Leftovers store well for 4 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 300 ml)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
