Description
A hearty and creamy country harvest root vegetable soup, rich with a blend of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and celeriac simmered with aromatic curry and thyme, finished with cream for a silky texture. Perfect for a warming main course during colder months.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped into large dice
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 litre (6 cups) water
- 2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup thickened cream (heavy cream or regular), plus extra for garnish
Root Vegetables
- 1 large potato (~300g/10oz), peeled, cut into 2.5cm (1") cubes
- 1 medium sweet potato (350g/12oz), peeled, cut into 2.5cm (1") cubes
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1.5cm (0.5") pieces
- 1 small/medium parsnip (150g/5oz), peeled, cut into 1.5cm (0.5") pieces
- 1 small celeriac (600g/1.2 lb), peeled, cut into 1.5cm (0.5") pieces (~2 heaped cups)
Serving/Garnish (Optional)
- Warm crusty bread
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Pinch extra curry powder
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté: Put the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, cook the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until the onion is softened.
- Add and Cook Vegetables: Add root vegetables, thyme, and curry powder. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the outside of the vegetables starts to soften.
- Simmer: Turn stove to high heat. Add water, salt, and pepper. Stir, then once it comes to a simmer, lower heat to medium-high and simmer rapidly for 15 minutes (uncovered) until all the vegetables are soft. Check doneness with a knife.
- Add Cream: Stir in cream and simmer for 1 minute to combine flavors.
- Blend: Remove from heat. Using a stick blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Do this in batches if necessary, removing lid inserts and covering the blender hole with a folded tea towel for safety.
- Adjust Seasoning: Adjust thickness by adding water if needed, and season with more salt, pepper, or cream to taste.
- Serve: Pour into bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of cream, a pinch of curry powder, parsley, and a pinch of black pepper. Serve with warm crusty bread.
Notes
- Use regular grocery store Western curry powder for a mild and aromatic flavor that enhances the soup without making it overly spicy.
- Fresh thyme leaves or other dried herbs like oregano, Italian seasoning, or herbes de Provence can be used as an alternative to dried thyme.
- If you prefer, substitute cream with 1/3 cup milk plus 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter to maintain richness with fewer calories.
- Feel free to vary the root vegetables. Pumpkin is a great substitute for any; swedes or turnips can replace or reduce the flavor dominance of parsnip and celeriac.
- Use any all-purpose or starchy potato such as Sebago for best results.
- When blending, do so in batches and cover blender holes with a folded tea towel to avoid splatters.
- Leftovers keep for up to 4 days in the fridge or can be frozen for 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 300 ml)
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
