Spiced Carrot and Parsnip Soup
- Felicity Vincent
- Oct 10, 2024
- 5 min read
A bowl of warming comfort for autumn!
This carrot and parsnip soup is full of seasonal vegetables, chickpeas, spices and coconut milk for a filling bowl of feel good comfort.
Did someone say Soup SZN? Time to get cosy and warm up with an easy bowl of carrot and parsnip soup. Don't let anyone tell you this soup isn't filling! I've added coconut, chickpeas, some crispy toppings and lots of warming spices for the ultimate soup recipe. Batch cook this at the weekend for easy lunches throughout the week or a comforting dinner waiting for you in the freezer.
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Ingredients (serves 5-6):
My spiced carrot & parsnip soup recipe:
5-6 carrots (570g)
3 parsnips (600g)
3 white onions
3 Tbs hot curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 tin of reduced fat coconut milk
12g ginger
15g garlic
1 + 1/2 tins of chickpeas
salt and pepper
Crispy pumpkin seeds and toppings:
1/2 squash
Seeds scooped out of the squash
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tin of chickpeas
1 tsp curry powder
Cinnamon powder
Cumin powder
Method:
How to make my carrot and parsnip soup:
Preheat the oven at 180°C.
De-seed the squash.
Dice the squash into bitesized pieces, then lay it out onto a baking tray with 1 Tbs vegetable oil, a sprinkle of cumin, salt and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Mix until evenly coated and roast for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
Wash the seeds then rub them with a clean tea towel to remove any leftover flesh and dry them out a bit.
Rinse 1/2 tin of chickpeas and dry them out on a clean tea towel.
Mix the seeds and chickpeas with a drizzle of oil and 1 tsp curry powder then lay out flat on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until dried and crispy.
Wash the parsnips and carrots, remove the tops and roughly chop into 1-inch pieces.
Peel and quarter the onions.
In a large saucepan, heat up 1 Tbs of oil on medium. Add the onion and leave to sweat until they start to brown. Then add the carrots, parsnips, remaining 1 1/2 tins of chickpeas, all the spices, a few pinches of salt and stir until evenly coated. Sweat them off for a minute before adding the grated ginger and garlic and cooking that for another minute. Finally add the coconut milk, 1 and a half tins of water and the stock cubes.
Stir and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and leave covered on the heat for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft.
Blend the carrot and parsnip soup until smooth.
Serve in a bowl topped with the roasted butternut squash, crispy seeds and chickpeas.
Finish with a dollop of yogurt and tuck in.
More about this autumnal soup recipe:
Shortcuts:
I can't really think of any shortcuts here as it's quite an easy recipe. You could forget about the toppings, but they do add a nice touch and don't take long to prepare.
I like making a big batch of this and storing individual portions in the freezer to have on hand for lazy lunches or dinners.
The chickpeas make this a filling soup, but if you're one of these people who can't fathom eating soup as a meal on it's own, I suggest having a smaller portion with dippy eggs.
Keys to success:
Take your time blending the soup, it may take a while but it's worth getting it extra smooth to achieve a creamy consistency.
Soup consistency can be quite personal, don't hesitate to add a little bit more water if you find it too thick. Remember it's easier to add water than to take it out.
Health benefits of carrots:
They're a good source of:
pro-vitamin A which supports the immune system, and helps to maintain healthy vision and skin;
vitamin B7 (biotin) which supports cell health and is needed to transform food into energy;
insoluble fibre - helps to make you feel full, and soften stools for better digestive health. It is also associated with phenolic compounds and therefore antioxidant properties.
Carrots contain many other beneficial active compounds, most notably antioxidant pigments such as carotenoids: lycopene (especially in red and yellow carrots), lutein and most notably a high concentration of pro-vitamin A beta carotene. Purple and black carrots also contain pigments called anthocyanins. Additionally, carrots are a source of hydrophilic phenols which have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.
Carotenoids all have antioxidant properties, they are excellent free radical scavengers playing a part in protecting body and cells from age-related diseases. Studies suggest that they may reduce cognitive decline, alleviate brain fog and decrease the risk of incidence of Alzheimer's disease.
Beta-carotene - converted to vitamin A to support eye health, skin health, and the immune system. It accumulates under the skin, protecting us from UV rays and potentially reducing the risk of skin cancer. Vitamin A is required for the formation of keratin to support teeth health, in part, which is also supported by the act of crunching on a carrot which helps to break down plaque and therefore strengthen our teeth barrier against harmful bacteria. Beta carotene has also been suggested to have protective affects on our liver.
Lutein - has been proven to support eye health. It may slow down the affects of age-related vision loss and cataracts. Its anti-inflammatory properties may also support cognitive function and a decreased risk of cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
Lycopene - has strong anti-cancer properties; It can inhibit oxidative damage caused by exercise. It is an excellent antioxidant, and is one of the best singlet oxygen scavenger which can cause diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s; It has been shown to protect the brain from stroke and slow down symptoms of dementia; it participates in reducing blood pressure (of hypertensive individuals only) and the amount of blood LDL cholesterol, also known as bad cholesterol; therefore reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease; it may protect the skin from UV damage and promote pro-collagen production which contributes to bouncy/youthful looking skin; Finally, it potentially plays a role in reducing insulin resistance and therefore the development of diabetes mellitus.
Polyacetylene - promotes cell health and reduces risk of cancer by regulating inflammation and cell death.
Anthocyanins - have excellent antioxidant activity which may protect from cancer and age-related diseases including neuronal and cardiovascular ones as well as reducing bone loss. They have also been shown to have protective affects on our GI tract, reducing inflammation and protecting the intestinal barrier (which otherwise might let bad things through), as well as promoting our gut microbiota which in turn has positive effects on our immune system, mental health and weight.
Mood Food - Focus:
Beta carotene - may improve cognitive function over time and alleviate brain fog;
Lutein - anti-inflammatory which supports cognition and alertness;
Iron - beta-carotene also supports iron absorption which in turn is required to feel energised. Low iron levels have been linked with feeling weak and tired.
Anthocyanins - anti-inflammatory properties that prevent brain damage, reduce memory loss and enhance cognition and focus
Hopefully this makes you excited to try this and many other carrot recipes during their season!
You can find lots of ideas on how to cook with carrots in my newsletter: https://felicityvincent.substack.com/
Full Video:
Cook along with this step-by-step video and learn how to make my carrot and parsnip soup recipe.
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