Spicy Parsnip and Leek Soup

It's just bucketing it down today. I don't think I've seen it rain so hard in a long time. When I walked home from the big house for my dinner break today, I was completely soaked through by the time I got to our cottage . . .



The wind was blowing so hard the rain was drifting horizontally . . .



Desperate weather, calls for desperate measures . . .



Yes . . . this is a soup day.



Soup, the perfect food for a wet and dismal day when you are chilled right through to the bone.
Nothing warms you up better, don't you think?



*Spicy Parsnip and Leek Soup*
Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe

This soup is sweet and spicy. Adding toasted cumin and black onion seed at the end gives it a delicious twist!

2 TBS butter
1 large spanish onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 cups chicken stock
2 medium leeks, the white and light green parts, trimmed, washed and sliced into 1/2 inch thick thick coins
750g bag of parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick coins
750g of floury potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tsp ground tumeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black onion seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat until softened and lightly browned. Add the leeks, parsnips and potatoes. Cook and stir to coat with the butter. Cook, and sweat for 10 to 15 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the chicken stock, tumeric and cayenne pepper. Season to taset with some salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until very soft. Using a stick blender, puree the soup, then pass through a sieve if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet. Add the cumin, onion and mustard seeds. Cook and stir in the oil until the seeds begin to pop. Carefully stir the hot oil/seed mixture into the soup. Taste and add more cayenne if desired. Serve hot.