This is my contribution to Blue Witch's Blogichef week, where bloggers submit their quick, easy and cheap recipes.


Roasted parsnip soup

This recipe exploits the natural sweetness and nuttiness of the parsnip by roasting it before making it into soup. Prepared this way, it's hard to believe that you're actually eating a root vegetable. The sesame seeds are optional but will add to the nutty flavour.

Ingredients:

• Three large parsnips, complete with mud (although the mud is optional). They were local, too (she said, smugly) but not from my garden (not so smug now, missy!)
  
• Sesame seeds (optional)
  
• Small onion
  
• The oil of your choice (just a drizzle)
  
• Butter (knob)

Method:

Roasting the parsnips
Preheat oven to 190C (mine is a fan oven - if yours isn't, you may need to set it a little higher). Peel and chop parsnips to about the size of chunky chips. I cut the fibrous middle bit out (not sure if you have to but I did anyway). Spread parsnips in a roasting tray, drizzle with a bit of oil (I used sesame and olive but it doesn't matter too much) and sprinkle with sesame seeds if required. Season with salt and pepper. Shove in the oven until soft inside and just golden on the outside. It took about 35 minutes in my oven, and I gave them a shake after 15. Remove from oven. A couple may slip into your mouth - this is fine. Call it "quality control" if questioned.

For the soup base:
Chop the onion finely. Put a knob of butter in a large saucepan and soften the onions - don't brown them, keep them moving until they're soft and transparent and just golden. Add the parsnips to the saucepan and then add vegetable stock to cover. Blend, continuing to add liquid until the soup is at the required consistency (I had to add lots more liquid than I thought and I like it thick!). Check seasoning.

Serve with a nice, fresh, crusty bread. If feeling indulgent, add a swirl of cream. Suitable for freezing - that's where mine is now, otherwise you would have got a photo!

Serves two if used as a main meal, but more if you have it as a starter.

Cost - probably about £2 in total.