the root down

one of the many things i love about my csa-beachgreens, is the recipes that come with my basket each week. i'm usually pretty handy at whipping something up using these fruits and veggies but sometimes my creative juices are lacking.

i came home after a long day yesterday and didn't want to have to think about what to make. i checked my email to see what beachgreens suggested i could make. this recipe looked tasty so i gave it a whirl. YUM. it tastes decadent for such few ingredients.

a soup/sauce secret of mine is better than bouillon's no chicken base. you can pick it up at your local whole foods. MOST bouillon's contain hydrogenated oil. a big yuck. although this one does

have corn syrup solids which i'm not fond of either, it's much better than the rest. take a look on grocery shelves and you'll see what i'm talking about. it's also SUPER tasty.

Roasted Parsnip Soup
Adapted from: http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/roasted-parsnip-soup-3556

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 1.5 hours

1 pound parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 spring onion stalks, white parts only, chopped (save green part for garnish, or another use)
1 bay leaf
3-4 cups vegetable broth

Heat the oven to 350˚F. Toss the parsnips with 1 Tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a single later on a baking sheet. Roast the parsnips, shaking the pan occasionally to turn them, until tender and easily pierced with a fork -- about 60 minutes. Trim away any burned areas and set aside.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook until translucent and softened -- about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsnips, bay leaf, and broth, and increase the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, partially cover the pot and simmer until the parsnips fall apart easily -- about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
Puree the mixture in a blender, in 2-cup batches, until smooth. Return the soup to the pot over low heat and stir occasionally until warmed through (use milk or water if a thinner consistency is desired, adjust seasoning accordingly). Soup may be cooled and stored refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.