ROASTED PARSNIP AND BLUE CHEESE SOUP
This rich and warming soup is the ultimate autumn comfort food as the weather starts to cool.
Ingredients
750g small parsnips, peeled, quartered lengthways
2 onions, peeled, thickly sliced
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and sliced in wedges
1 Tbsp thyme, leaves picked
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 leek, washed, trimmed, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
2 Tbsp sage, leaves picked, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
2 litres vegetable stock
2 fresh bay leaves
175g blue cheese, crumbled
Method
Preheat oven to 180 ̊C
Add the parsnips, onion, pear, thyme and olive oil to a large roasting pan, season to taste and mix to combine. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 35 mins, then remove foil and gently toss to turn the veges over
Cook for a further 25 mins uncovered or until golden. Remove from oven and set aside
While the parsnips are roasting, heat a medium-sized stockpot over a medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil,leek, celery, garlic and sage and cook for 5 mins or until tender. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half
Add the stock, bay leaves and half the roasted parsnip mix, saving the other half for garnish. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins
Remove from heat and take out bay leaf; blend the soup until almost smooth, but with some texture, in a food processor
To serve, season to taste and pour into bowls then top with roasted parsnip mix and a sprinkle of crumbled blue cheese