Does anyone remember The Clangers, that funny sock-puppetesque type kids programme from the 70s where words were whistles and everyone loved the Soup Dragon? Oh please tell me I’m not alone in this one? Anyway the point here is that these little characters lived on soup, I love soup and makes some sort of soupy concoction every week, this week it has been Parsnip Soup with Apple Salsa.
I’ll make soup out of practically anything (as friends will attest who survived my curried nettle and cucumber chilled soup of a few years ago, definitely NOT one for the blog and best never to have been made far less shared at all!) and especially anything that is reduced in price at the shops. Parsnips are going cheap just now so I made the most of them by whipping up this spicy yet fruity soup and adding a touch of salsa to liven it up, and let’s face it make it look just a tad more interesting in the photos!
I’ve added some warmth with the aromatic spices of turmeric, cumin and ginger, which don’t just add to the flavour but make this soup really healthy too. The addition of fresh sage gives a really earthy deep flavour that goes really well with the spices and gets picked up and brightened with the sweet and fruity apple salsa.
All in all this one is a flavour fest and as it is so quick and easy to make it is one I’ll be pulling out again and again and something that looks and tastes good enough to serve when you have friends round. Maybe just a tad better than the old curried nettle and cucumber crap…….
Karon x
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger (or ground if no fresh available)
- 4 parsnips peeled and chopped
- 600ml/1 pint chicken stock
- 1 tsp chopped fresh sage
- 1 grated eating apple (inc skin)
- salt and pepper
- Apple Salsa
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp minced onion
- 1 clove garllic minced
- 2 sage leaves
- ½ eating apple finely diced with skin on
- salt and pepper
- Sweat the onion and garlic in a soup pan along with the spices in 2 tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes
- Add the parsnips and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stick and sage and simmer for 20 minutes
- Add the apple and cook for a further 5 minutes before whizzing with a stick blender till smooth and season to taste.
- Making The Apple Salsa
- Fry the onion and garlic along with the whole sage leaves
- Crumble the sage leaves, add the chopped apple and stir to combine
- Season to taste
- Serve the soup with a spoonful of the salsa on top.
Have often made spicy parsnip soup, it’s one of our favourites, but never added sage. Will try that addition next time. Of course we remember the Clangers, a brilliant programme, and I confess we were not children at the time!!
With love, Ann xx
Great to hear you are a Clangers fan Ann! Sage really lifts this soup. Give it a go.
K x
Loved the apple salsa.
Thanks, it really lifts this soup and makes it a bit special.
K x