Parsnip soup with parsley cream

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion until soft but not coloured. Stir in the parsnips, bay leaves, milk and stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently until the parsnip is very soft. Remove the bay leaves and drain off, but reserve, the liquid. Whizz the parsnips in a blender, adding a little of the cooking liquid at a time until smooth. Keep adding liquid until you reach a lovely soup consistency that’s not too thick.

• step 2

  For the parsley purée and cream, blanch the parsley in boiling salted water for 30 secs, then refresh in ice water – this keeps the green colour. Repeat this twice. Bring the double cream to the boil. Squeeze out any water from the parsley, then whizz in a clean blender, slowly adding the hot cream until it’s as smooth as you can get it. Cool. Fold a little of the parsley purée through the whipped cream until nice and green. Season and chill. Keep the remaining purée for serving.

• step 3

  For the garnish, blanch the parsnip cubes in boiling water for 2 mins, then drain. Heat the olive oil in a pan, and fry the cubes until golden. Keep warm.

• step 4

  To serve, reheat the parsnip soup and season to taste. Place a little of the parsley purée into each of 6 shallow soup bowls, followed by the soup, a spoonful of the parsley whipped cream and some fried parsnip cubes.