Parsnip Soup w/ Parsley Pesto

I've been loving my morning routine that has been consistent for the past few weeks. After watering and feeding the animals, I stroll over to our Honey Crisp apple tree, give it a gentle shake and wait for an apple to fall. I collect one or two then walk towards the sun while enjoying the crisp, tart apple. Well, today that all came to an end. A deep frost the last few nights turned the apples frozen solid. Ahhhh, what a bummer… But least there's always next year! With the realization that winter really is coming soon, I harvested the last of my root veggies front he garden and headed into the kitchen. With a pot of chicken stock on the stove, I thought I would make a brothy soup loaded with the vegetables I had just harvested from my garden.

The soup is reminiscent of French Onion soup. Sweet and earthy, it's perfect on a chilly day like today. The savory pesto stirred into the soup added a rich, umami flavor. Since I had an abundance of parsley outdoors, that's what I used. Plus I love the combo of roasted pumpkin seeds and parsley.

Leek and Parsnip Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons Lard, Avocado or Coconut oil
  • 2 large Leeks, white section sliced thin (3-4 cups)
  • 1 large Onion, sliced thin
  • 4 large Parsnips, roughly chopped (3-4 cups)
  • 3 Garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Thyme
  • 3 quarts Chicken stock or water

For the Parsley Pesto:

  • 2 cups toasted Pumpkin seeds
  • 1 large bunch curly Parsley (4 cups)
  • 2-3 tablespoon South River miso
  • 1/2 cup Olive oil
  • Sea Salt, to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F

First prep your vegetables. Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add a few spoonfuls of fat then sauté the leeks and onions, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. Let them begin to soften up before adding the garlic. Cook until fragrant then add the parsnips. Stir to coat, cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the bone broth or water. Cover, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

While the soup cooks dry roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven until toasty and golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool then place into the food processor. Pulse to break up, then add the parsley, miso, and garlic. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture forms a thick, but spreadable paste. Scoop out the mixture and place it into a jar.

Serve up the soup nice and hot with a generous dollop of the pesto. If your feeling crazy, toast up a piece of sourdough and spread the pesto over that, then dip it into the soup.