Parsnip, apple and celery soup

This soup is an excellent way of using up parsnips that are a bit long in the tooth and apples that have been stored towards the end of their useful life; ie, that have gone a bit soft.  It has a lovely flavour with the acidity of the apples countering some of the sweetness of the parsnips.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 25 Mins

Total Time: 40 Mins

Ingredients

For 8 servings…

1 knob            Butter       

1 tbs               Olive oil    

1                    Onion  - small, slices roughly   

3 sticks            Celery  - chopped roughly       

1 kg                Parsnips  - chopped roughly     

700 ml             Water       

½ stick            Cinnamon  

 tbs                Rosemary  - chopped

 tbs                Sage  - chopped      

½ tbs             Thyme  - chopped    

400 gms          Apples  - peeled, cored and chopped      

                      Pepper      

                      Salt          

Method

Melt the butter in the oil and add the onion.  Sauté for 5 minutes and then add the celery and parsnips.  Stir.  Add the water, cinnamon and herbs and simmer gently until parsnips have softened.  Add the apple and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon stick and blend in a food processor.  If the soup is too thick, add some more water.  Heat to being back up to boiling point.

Taste and season appropriately.

Wine recommendations

A white wine with a bit of acidity.

Conventional

     Vouvray sec

Interesting

     Chablis

     Chinon blanc

     Riesling