I absolutely love it when the weather starts getting a bit chilly and I can make a big pot of soup. I’ll make more than we can eat in one serving, portion it out and freeze it, so I’ll always have some ready for lunch when I want it. And this works particularly with this hearty parsnip and red lentil soup.
Cooked with plenty of spices, ginger and garlic, it’s smooth and hearty and is done in just one pot! It’s pretty simple to make and, swirled with some coconut milk to finish, it’s also naturally vegan.
How to Make Parsnip & Lentil Soup
Like so many of my recipes (see my white bean soup or mushroom stew), this one starts with cooking down a mirepoix. It’s essential not to skip this step because it’s really foundational to the flavour of the soup.
I like to chop my carrots, onion and celery very finely (I honestly use a food processor, but it’s just as simple with a knife) as I find that everything brows a bit better when it’s finely chopped.
To get moving, add a bit of oil to a large saucepan and set it over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add your mirepoix and season it with a generous pinch of salt.
Cook this, stirring every so often, until the veggies begin to stick to the bottom of the pan and are starting to brown – this will take about 10 minutes. Be patient, this develops a lot of flavour!
Once you’ve reached this step, add a bit of minced garlic, fresh ginger and a touch of tomato paste. Cook this for a couple of minutes, just until very fragrant.
Then, add in your spices – curry powder, cumin, coriander and turmeric – along with some lemon zest for brightness. Cook this for another 30 seconds or so.
After, go ahead and stir in your red lentils and your chopped and peeled parsnips. Pour over some veggie stock (or use chicken stock if you’re not fussed about making this vegetarian) along with a bit of soy sauce to add some saltiness and umami.
Bring everything up to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the soup to bubble away until the lentils are cooked through and the parsnips are extremely tender.
When you’ve reached this stage, remove the soup from the heat and puree it.
I use a stick blender because I find it easier to do everything in the same pot, but you can also transfer it to the jar of a standard blender – just note that you may need to do it in batches depending on the size of the jar.
Once the soup is pureed, return it to the heat and stir in some coconut milk, a bit of maple syrup for some sweetness and a splash of lemon juice for acidity.
Bring the soup to a simmer once more and then taste to adjust for seasoning – adding more salt (or soy sauce) and maybe a splash of maple syrup if you think it needs it.
Now, all you need to do is serve and enjoy!
Curried Lentil & Parsnip Soup
Ingredients
- 2 ribs celery finely diced
- 1-2 carrots peeled & finely diced
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 15 g (2 tbsp) fresh ginger finely minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp hot madras curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 90 g (½ cup) dried red lentils picked through & rinsed
- 1 kg (2 lb) parsnips peeled & roughly diced
- 1 l (4 ¼ cups) vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 375 ml (1 ½ cups) water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 250 ml (1 cup) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Add 3 tbsp of neutral oil to a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the celery, onion and carrot along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to brown around the edges – about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan – about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric and lemon zest. Cook until very fragrant – about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the lentils and parsnips. Pour over the vegetable stock, water and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer until the lentils are completely cooked through and the parsnips are very tender – about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and puree the soup until very smooth using a stick blender or a standard blender. Return to the heat and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the coconut milk, maple syrup and lemon juice. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper where needed. Serve.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This simple, one-pot soup with red lentils and parsnips is hearty, lightly spiced and super warming. It’s perfect for a filling lunch or a light dinner!
Are you after a lentil parsnip soup? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
