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Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Soup

Parsnip Soup

Updated: Oct 31, 2024 · Published: Oct 21, 2020 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 23 Comments

538 shares
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Diet: Gluten Free / Vegetarian
Jump to Recipe
Parsnip soup with a text title overlay.
Parsnip soup with a text title overlay.

This creamy Parsnip Soup is sweet and nutty, totally comforting and ready in just 30 minutes. A great way to use up lots of parsnips and it has the most incredible flavour - this easy soup recipe will make you never want to open a can of soup again. This is one of our favourite parsnip recipes.

A bowl of soup next to some slices of buttered bread and some salt and pepper.

This recipe for parsnip soup was created after receiving an abundance of parsnips in our weekly vegetable box. We love roasted parsnips with our Sunday roast, but they also make an amazing soup.

Thick and creamy, parsnips give it a wonderful sweet and nutty flavour. A warming soup to keep you going through winter.

Looking for some other ways to use parsnips? Why not try our Baked Parsnip Fries or Mustard and Honey Roast Parsnips.

Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love It
  • Ingredients and Substitutions
  • Variations
  • How to Make Parsnip Soup - Step by Step
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Storage
  • Extra Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Soup Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Why You Will Love It

  • Quick and easy - This soup is ready in just 30 minutes and with minimal effort too.
  • Vegan option - We added some cream for extra creaminess, but you could either leave it out or use a vegan alternative to make this a creamy soup.
  • Warming and comforting - Anything with parsnips just feel super comforting and this soup is no exception.
  • Freezes well - This soup freezes and reheats well, making it perfect for batch cooking.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

  • Shallots - You could use onions instead, but we love the sweetness that shallots give. Save time and use frozen onions.
  • Parsnips - The star of the dish. They have quite a strong flavour, so you could use half parsnips and half carrots if you prefer. You could also add in some celeriac.
  • Apple - This might seem a strange addition, but it goes so well with the parsnips and it adds a little sweetness too.
  • Garlic - Freshly crushed is best, but you could use crushed garlic in a tube to save time.
  • Stock - We used a really good quality vegetable stock, but you could use chicken stock to add a richer flavour. If you are making this for younger children then use a low salt stock.
  • Seasoning
  • Single cream - This adds some extra creaminess, but it can be left out to make it vegan.

Variations

One of our favourite ways to change up this recipe is by making it roast parsnip soup. If you want to give this soup and even more intense parsnip flavour, then you can roast the parsnips first.

Put on a baking tray with some olive oil and roast for 30 minutes and then follow the rest of the directions the same. We didn't roast them because we love that this soup is ready in just 30 minutes.

If you want to add a real kick of flavour, then make this a spicy parsnip soup with either some chopped red chilli, or curry powder. We love a curried parsnip soup for something really comforting.

How to Make Parsnip Soup - Step by Step

Chopped parsnip, shallots and apple in a large pan.
  1. Step 1: Put the oil in the pan and then add the shallots, parsnips, apple and garlic and gently cook on low for 5 minutes.
Stock added to the pan.
  1. Step 2: Add the stock and salt and pepper. Stir and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes until the parsnips have softened.
Creme fraiche added to the pan.
  1. Step 3: Add the cream.
Blended soup in a pan with a stick blender.
  1. Step 4: Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency.

Serving Suggestions

Soup and bread is such a classic combination. But why not take the humble slice of bread and butter up a gear and make your own crunchy croutons.

Not just any croutons, but cheesy herby croutons. They are so easy to make, and a great way to use up bread that is going a little stale.

Just take a couple of slices of bread and cut into 1 inch pieces and scatter on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan (or grated cheddar) and sprinkle with dried oregano.

Put them in a preheated oven at 180°C/160°C(fan)/350°F/Gas 4 for around 8 minutes.

You could also make our 6 minute Air Fryer Croutons.

A baking tin full of croutons and grated Parmesan

You could also serve this soup with our Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia, Homemade Bagels or Easy White Bread.

Storage

Store: Leftovers of this soup will keep in the refrigerator (in an airtight container) for a couple of days.

Freeze: Make sure that it has cooled fully and then put in freezable bags and lay flat in the freezer. It will be good for a couple of months.

Defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight.

Reheat: Once defrosted you can reheat it in a pan. You might want to add a little bit of water when reheating it to thin it out.

Cream drizzles over a bowl of parsnip soup.

Extra Tips

  • Instead of shallots, you could use onion or leek.
  • Add some spice to this soup with a sprinkle of red chilli flakes before serving or blend in some curry powder.
  • To give it a bit of a different flavour, you could use coconut milk instead of cream.
  • Adding a little grated ginger adds an incredible flavour.
  • Give this soup more of an intense parsnip flavour by roasting the parsnips first.
  • Make sure to blend it until super smooth for the best texture.
  • Some pumpkin seeds are nice sprinkled on top too.
A bowl of soup with a spoon in front of a checked towel.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other vegetables can I add?

Parsnips really are the star of this soup, and I wouldn't recommend adding anything else because it would totally change the flavour. You could do a mix of carrots and parsnips though if you wanted something a little different.
We have used shallots, however you could swap those for onion or leek.
Most soups use potatoes to give it some thickness, but I don't find that this soup needs that, as the parsnips make it really thick anyway.

Is it gluten free?

Yes, if you use a gluten free stock and make sure that there is no cross contamination, then this is a delicious gluten free soup.

Why is my soup too thick?

If you have cooked it at a high heat, the water might have cooked off too quickly, which will leave you with a thick soup. Just add a little more water until it is your desired consistency. How thick or thin you like your soup comes down to a personal preference too.

Do I need to peel the parsnips first?

You don't have to, but I would recommend it because the peel has a lot of dirt that is difficult to clean off.

More Soup Recipes

  • Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup in a bowl with a spoon.
    Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
  • A bowl of creamy courgette soup next to two slices of bread.
    Creamy Courgette Soup
  • Canned pumpkin and carrot soup ion a bowl with a soup spoon.
    Canned Pumpkin and Carrot Soup
  • A bowl of slow cooker tomato soup topped with cream, croutons and herbs.
    Slow Cooker Tomato Soup

If you’ve tried this parsnip soup recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

A bowl of parsnip soup with cream drizzled over it.

Parsnip Soup

By: Dannii Martin
This creamy Parsnip Soup is sweet and nutty, and totally comforting. Topped with our easy homemade cheesy croutons to give it some crunch.
A circular logo saying GF.
Gluten Free
An illustration of a v-shaped plant.
Vegetarian
4.91 from 32 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: British
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 30 minutes mins
Total: 35 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 262kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a carton of milk.
Dairy

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 500 g (1.1 lb) Parsnips - peeled and diced
  • 1 Apple - peeled and diced
  • 3 Shallots - peeled and diced
  • 2 Garlic clove - crushed
  • 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 litre (4 cups) Vegetable stock
  • 100 ml (0.5 cups) Cream

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in the pan and then add 3 Shallots, 500 g Parsnips, 1 Apple and 2 Garlic clove and gently cook on low for 5 minutes.
  • Add 1 litre Vegetable stock and 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper. Stir and simmer for 25 minutes until the parsnips have softened.
  • Blend the soup until desired consistency and stir in 100 ml Cream.

Recipe Tips

  • Instead of shallots, you could use onion or leek.
  • Add some spice to this soup with a sprinkle of red chilli flakes before serving or blend in some curry powder.
  • To give it a bit of a different flavour, you could use coconut milk instead of cream.
  • Give this soup more of an intense parsnip flavour by roasting the parsnips first.
  • Make sure to blend it until super smooth for the best texture.
  • Some pumpkin seeds are nice sprinkled on top too.
  • Adding a little grated ginger adds an incredible flavour.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 1016mg | Potassium: 610mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 924IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

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Comments

  1. JackieH says

    September 25, 2023 at 10:49 am

    5 stars
    Use parsnips and leeks from my garden. I didn't add cream as I didn't think the soup needed it. Absolutely outstanding, huge hit with the family, we will be having it tomorrow night too

    Reply
    • Dannii Martin says

      September 25, 2023 at 12:08 pm

      So glad you all enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Amanda Wren-Grimwood says

    January 23, 2021 at 10:33 am

    5 stars
    Parsnips are my favourite vegetable so I can't wait to make this one. Love the addition of apple too.

    Reply
  3. sue says

    October 25, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    omg the texture looks so silky! But none of those croutons would ever make it into the soup...I'd scarf them down as soon as they came out of the oven, yum!!

    Reply
  4. kylie says

    October 25, 2020 at 9:48 am

    5 stars
    Parsnips are my favourite veggies! Love this soup!

    Reply
  5. Kate says

    October 25, 2020 at 9:38 am

    5 stars
    The perfect time of year for this totally delicious soup, another delicious recipe - thank you!

    Reply
  6. Alison says

    October 24, 2020 at 11:42 pm

    5 stars
    I can't believe how easy and creamy this soup is! It's going to become a fall favorite!

    Reply
  7. Tara says

    October 24, 2020 at 11:07 pm

    5 stars
    Such a comforting soup for autumn! I love the garnish of the homemade croutons on top. Yum!

    Reply
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My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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