Carrot, Ginger, & Parsnip Soup with Crispy Shallots, Bacon & Goat Cheese
Time: 45 minutes (Roasting can be done in advance to save time)
Yields about 6 cups of soup
Ingredients:
For the Soup-
- 1.5 pounds organic carrots, washed and peeled (about 8 medium/large carrots)
- 2 medium parsnips, washed and peeled
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 TB. olive oil
- 1 cup 2% milk, or plain milk alternative
- 4 cups water
- 1 TB. white vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 4" knob of ginger (about 1/3 cup chopped), peeled and chopped, + extra for zesting
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp. yellow curry powder
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- chopped chives, for topping
For Crispy Shallots:
- 1 shallot clove, sliced into rings
- 1 TB. olive oil
- 2 TB. flour + pinch of black pepper
Bacon!:
- 4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped into bits
Goat Cheese drizzle:
- 4 TB. goat cheese
- 2 TB. olive oil
- 4 TB. water
- OR: heat the amount of soup you want to serve and melt/stir in your desired amount of goat cheese
Instructions-
For Soup:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash, peel, and halve the carrots and parsnips. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and a drizzle of olive oil. Spread the carrots and parsnips around the pan. Add another light drizzle of olive oil over the top and season with salt.
Roast the carrots & parsnips for 30 minutes, removing from the oven and flipping them over half way through the roast. Let them cool about 5 minutes before adding to the food processor.
***While veggies are roasting, cook & chop the bacon, and make the crispy shallots.
Place slightly cooled roasted carrots and parsnips in a large food processor. Add vegetable broth, olive oil, milk, and half the amount of water (2 cups). Run food processor on high speed until the veggies become smooth.
Add vinegar, salt, chopped ginger, garlic clove, curry powder, and cayenne. Run food processor until everything looks smooth and incorporated.
The food processor will be very full at this point. Transfer the soup to a large pan or stock pot on medium/low heat. Add the other 2 cups of water and stir well.
***For Crispy Shallots:
Heat a small pan to medium/low heat with a TB of olive oil. Peel the exterior off the shallot and discard. Slice the shallot into 1/8 inch thick rings. Add 2 TB of flour and some cracked black pepper to a small bowl. While the shallots are still freshly chopped and wet, coat the rings in the flour/pepper mixture. Add the rings to the heated olive oil. Let them crisp on one side for about 2-3 minutes, then carefully flip to the other side to crisp. They are done when they are browned. Be careful to not let them blacken. Remove from the pan with a fork and let them drain on a paper towel.
For best results, add a hearty drizzle of goat cheese to the bottom of the soup bowl. Spoon the desired amount of hot carrot soup into the bowl. Top with plenty of goat cheese drizzle, bacon crumbles, crispy shallot rings, and fresh chives. Enjoy!
