A great meal-in-a-bowl soup with 100 grams of white beans per serving, this apple parsnip soup is an easy way to use some seasonal produce. The beans add an extra boost of creaminess, it’s a little sweet, and cinnamon, cumin, and coriander add warmth. Try topping with croutons or toasted seeds or nuts for a little crunch.

For more soups featuring parsnips, try this carrot and parsnip soup made with roasted vegetables, or roasted parsnip soup. If you want another way to eat this delicious cold-weather vegetable, make honey roasted parsnips.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Parsnips: look for firm, thin-skinned parsnips. Be sure not to mix it up with parsnip root, which is much more intense in flavour.
• Apples: choose an apple that isn’t too sweet, something that has some acidity to it. I don’t recommend a variety with a very thick skin (like granny smith).
• Beans: use cooked or canned white beans or chickpeas.
• Broth: use homemade vegetable broth or store-bought. A good broth will make a difference for this soup.
• Spices: change the amounts to your taste. This is a rather sweet soup.

Step by Step

Step 1: add the parsnip and onion to a pot.

Step 2: cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: cook the apple and garlic for a few minutes more, then stir in the spices.

Step 4: add the broth and beans.

Step 5: simmer for about 30 minutes, then puree.

Step 6: season to taste and serve.

Recipe Notes

Pictured are stale spelt pita that I tore up into small pieces and baked at 200°C with a little olive oil and salt until crisp. You can use any kind of bread you have to make croutons this way. They add a nice crunchy element to break up the creamy texture of the soup.

If you don’t have an immersion blender (I highly recommend one) or heat-safe standing blender, you’ll have to wait for the soup to cool before blending. Reheat the blended soup gently on the stove before serving.

How to Store

Storage: keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Freezing: transfer fully cooled soup to airtight containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating as usual. This soup freezes well.

Expert Tips

• Season to taste: as with any homemade soup, you’ll need to adjust the amount of salt added to suit your preference. Vegetable broth types have differing levels of saltiness so added salt needs to be adjusted based on that, too – consider the amount listed in the recipe card to be a starting point.
• Leave out the beans: if you want a starter or side dish rather than a meal soup, omit the beans. The soup will be less thick but still delicious.
• Note the sweetness: this soup has definite sweet notes, from the apples, cinnamon, and slowly cooked vegetables. It’s not sweet but if you don’t like a soup that errs more to the side of sweet than spicy, avoid this one.

More Seasonal Soups

Tomato Pasta Soup
Vegan French Onion Soup
Cabbage Lentil Soup
Rice, Lentil, and Butternut Squash Soup