Roasted Pear and Parsnip Soup
{this recipe was found at www.eatwell.com by one of our CSA members. Her suggestions for preparing it are at the bottom.
Makes 6 servings, generous 1 cup each
Ingredients
2 pounds parsnips, peeled and woody core removed (see Tip)2 pears, peeled and cut into eighths
1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and cut into eighths
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 ¼ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 ¼ cups low-fat milk
Instructions
1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F.2. Toss parsnips, pears, onion, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a roasting pan. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until very soft and starting to brown, about 40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, boil vinegar in a small saucepan until syrupy and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 14 minutes. (Watch the syrup carefully during the last few minutes of reducing to prevent burning.) Remove from the heat.
4. Puree half of the parsnip mixture with broth in a blender until very smooth; transfer to a large saucepan. Puree the other half with milk until very smooth. Add to the saucepan and stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reheat the soup over medium heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Gently reheat the balsamic syrup if it has become thicker than syrup while standing. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the balsamic syrup
Tips
Tip: Remove the fibrous, woody core of parsnips before using: quarter parsnip lengthwise and cut out the core with a paring knife.
Nutrition Information
Per serving: 250 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 9 g fiber; 515 mg sodium; 687 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Folate (27% dv), Calcium & Potassium (19% dv).
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 fruit, 1/2 low-fat milk, 1/2 fat
Suggestions from Sara: This is delicious and tastes v. rich although it is not. There is a fine line between caramelized and burnt—much of the special flavor depends on the carmelization, so I use a pyrex roasting dish so that I can see what is browning vs burning when I stir, and I reduce the oven to 400 degrees. If there are any burnt tips (as is often the case on the onions or perhaps edges of other items), I trim those off with scissors before pureeing. I also prefer plain water to chicken stock—it produces a fresher, purer flavor. The balsamic reduction is also v. subject to burning before you think it has reduced enough—syrup begins to collect on the bottom of the pan and needs to be stirred and watched closely about half way through. The final product is very strong, so it only takes a little spiral on top of the soup to provide an elegant addition.
