Enjoy a cozy bowl of parsnip soup with carrots - warm, hearty, and oh-so-delicious! Simple to cook and perfectly seasoned, this parsnip soup recipe is a tasty treat for any meal.
This creamy parsnip soup with carrots and smooth potatoes brings delightful flavors with a hint of sweetness. Whether as a starter or a warming dish, this simple soup is rich, warming, and satisfying. Just try it - it's bound to become a family favorite.
Try more of our creamy vegetable soups; they are all perfect for the winter months: Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup, Spicy Carrot and Lentil Soup, or Broccoli Soup with Coconut Milk.
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🍲Why will you love this soup?
- Comforting, warming blend of parsnips and carrots, perfectly seasoned with warm spices like sweet paprika, coriander, cumin, and chili.
- Easy-to-follow recipe for a homemade, satisfying dish, using simple ingredients and ready in about 40 minutes.
- A hearty, healthy, and nourishing dish for the colder months, a delicious soup that's sure to please.
📋Recipe ingredients
- Parsnips: They are root vegetables, similar to carrots. If you are unfamiliar with them, they have a sweet, earthy, almost perfumed taste.
- Carrots: Sweet and crunchy root vegetables add even more sweetness to the dish.
- Potatoes: Their primary purpose is to make the carrot and parsnip soup thick and creamy.
- Other vegetables: Onion and garlic cloves.
- Spices: Onion powder, cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, red chili flakes, fine sea salt, and ground black pepper.
- Vegetable broth or stock, store-bought or homemade. Chicken stock is great as well.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and creaminess to the soup.
- Parmesan: Grated cheese to add a savory, umami taste.
- Lime or lemon juice: To lift the flavors and balance the soup’s richness. I had lime this time, but lemon is just as good.
- Equipment: Large soup pot or Dutch oven and an immersion blender.
👩🏻🍳How to make parsnip soup?
Prepare the vegetables: Chop the onion and set it aside. Peel and chop the parsnips, carrots, potatoes, and garlic.
Sauté the onion in olive oil for 3 minutes.
Add vegetables and sauté on medium heat for another 3 minutes.
Add all the spices and stir for about 1 minute until they are fragrant.
Pour in the vegetable stock.
Simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes or until tender.
Puree soup.
Add a little cream and Parmesan for a finishing touch.
Adjust the taste with lime or lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
🥕Variations
- Other vegetables: This recipe is versatile. Add other winter root vegetables like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or celeriac.
- Spices: Use other spices such as ginger, turmeric, or cardamom. Sub all the spices with good curry powder.
- Coconut: Add coconut milk instead of heavy cream for a dairy-free version. Use a whole can (14 oz/ 400 g), but reduce the amount of vegetable broth; you will only need about 3 cups/ 700 ml if using a whole can of coconut milk.
- Roasted garlic: Roast garlic cloves and blend them with the soup for a mellow, caramelized garlic flavor that complements the sweetness of the carrots and parsnips. See Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes to learn more about roasting garlic.
- Citrus: Replace the lime juice with orange zest or a fresh orange juice splash to brighten the flavors.
- Toppings: Top the carrot parsnip soup with other ingredients like cooked bacon bits, toasted nuts, croutons, a dollop of yogurt, chopped fresh herbs, an extra drizzle of cream, or a drizzle of flavored oils (such as truffle oil or herb-infused oils) to add texture and depth of flavor. Try our potato croutons; the ones served with the Potato and Pumpkin Soup.
🔊Expert Tips
- Parmesan: It’s preferable to use freshly grated cheese; pre-grated cheese contains additives that prevent it from melting nicely and thus make the soup grainy.
- Freshly grated Parmesan also has more volume than already grated; that means that ½ cup is only about 1 oz/ 30 g. If using pre-grated cheese, you will only need about ⅓ cup, but, in the end, you can add it to taste.
- Texture: For a smoother consistency, blend the carrot parsnip soup longer. If you prefer a chunkier texture, pulse the blender or use an immersion blender sparingly.
Tips for blending the soup
- An immersion blender (stick blender) is best for blending hot soup because it allows you to blend directly in the pot, avoiding the need to transfer hot liquid to a separate blender and reducing the risk of spills or burns.
- If using a stand blender or food processor, please follow these safety steps.
- Allow the soup to cool slightly. Hot liquids can create pressure in the blender, leading to splattering or the lid popping off.
- Fill the blender or food processor only halfway to leave space for steam expansion. Working in batches might be necessary if the quantity is large.
- Start blending at a low speed to reduce the risk of splattering. Gradually increase the speed as needed.
- Hold the blender or food processor lid down with a kitchen towel to ensure the lid stays secure.
- Be cautious while handling hot liquids and pouring the blended soup from the blender or food processor.
- Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and safety guidelines for your specific blender or food processor model.
❓Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can prepare the soup in advance and store it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze it for up to 2-3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
Absolutely! For a thinner consistency, add more broth or water. Conversely, if it's too thin, simmer it longer to reduce and thicken.
For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Replace the heavy cream with coconut milk or a non-dairy alternative to make it vegan.
Refrigerate in the covered pot or an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months and defrost in the fridge.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, often stirring. If the soup is too thick, add a splash of broth or milk.
🍽️What to serve with the soup?
Crusty bread: Sliced baguette, sourdough, or a rustic loaf of bread. Try our Spelt Bread, Buckwheat Bread, or Yogurt Soda Bread.
Grilled cheese sandwich or any other sandwich you like. How about a Salmon Sandwich, Danish Smorrebrod, or Cottage Cheese Toast?
Salads: A light side dish salad with mixed greens, vinaigrette dressing, or a citrusy salad can contrast the soup's richness.
Croutons or toasted nuts: Top the soup with homemade croutons or a sprinkle of toasted nuts (such as almonds or walnuts) for added texture and crunch.
Savory pastries: Serve alongside savory pastries like puff pastry pizza twists, savory scones, biscuits, or cheese straws.
Do you like this recipe?
Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Don’t forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!📖Recipe
Creamy Parsnip Soup with Carrots
Equipment
- Large soup pot
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large parsnips 1 lb/ 450 g
- 2 medium carrots 5.5 oz/ 150 g
- 1 large potato 12 oz/ 330 g
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper more to taste
- 4 ½ cups vegetable broth 1 liter Notes 1, 2
- ½ cup heavy cream 125 ml Notes 2, 3
- ½ cup Parmesan freshly grated, 1 oz/ 30 g, Note 4
- 2 teaspoons lime juice or lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Chop the onion and set it aside. Clean, peel, and chop the parsnips, carrots, potatoes, and garlic.1 medium onion+ 2 large parsnips + 2 medium carrots + 1 large potato + 2 large garlic cloves
- Sauté the onion in olive oil for about 3 minutes or until softer and golden. Add the remaining vegetables and sauté on medium heat for another 3 minutes, often stirring.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add all the spices and stir for about 1 minute until they are fragrant.1 teaspoon onion powder + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika + ½ teaspoon cumin + ½ teaspoon coriander + ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Simmer: Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer the parsnip soup on medium-low heat for 25 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.4 ½ cups vegetable broth
- Blend the soup (Note 5).
- Add heavy cream and Parmesan, and stir well to combine. Don’t let the soup boil again.½ cup heavy cream + ½ cup Parmesan
- Adjust the taste with lime or lemon juice, salt, and pepper.2 teaspoons lime juice
Notes
- Broth: Store-bought or homemade. Chicken stock is also great.
- Coconut: Add coconut milk instead of heavy cream for a dairy-free version. Use a whole can (14 oz/ 400 g), but reduce the amount of vegetable broth; you will only need about 3 cups/ 700 ml if using a whole can of coconut milk.
- Cream: You can use half-half or whole milk instead. However, heavy cream is the best choice in terms of flavor and texture.
- Parmesan: It’s preferable to use freshly grated cheese; pre-grated cheese contains additives that prevent it from melting nicely and thus make the soup grainy. Freshly grated Parmesan also has more volume than already grated; that means that ½ cup is only about 1 oz/ 30 g. If using pre-grated cheese, you will only need about ⅓ cup, but, in the end, you can add it to taste.
- Blending the soup: It’s preferable to use an immersion blender. If using a stand blender or food procession, follow the safety steps: Let the soup cool slightly and blend it in batches, increasing the speed gradually and holding a folded, thick kitchen towel over the top to ensure the lid stays secure.
Cole says
This soup is delicious! Full disclaimer, as is tradition for online recipes I made a few minor adjustments based on what I had and my own tastes. I added more veggies (about double the carrots and two potatoes instead of one), and I roasted the potatoes, carrots, and parsnips in the oven with some olive oil, salt, and pepper before they went in the soup. I also didn’t add the called-for salt & pepper when making the soup since it was already on the veggies. And because there were more veggies, I used a total of six cups vegetable broth.
I tried it after blending, and honestly, it doesn’t need the cream or parm, so I didn’t add them. I’m sure they’d be great, but it’s fabulous as is without them.
Adina says
It sounds great, Cole. Thank you for the feedback.