Parsnips are a truly underrated vegetable. So often they are relegated to the pantry, along with the potatoes and onion, never to see the light of day. Well, it’s time to claim a resurgence of this winter time root veg! Power to the parsnip! Let’s enjoy the smooth, sweet, and slightly peppery flavor of the parsnip with a simple soup that highlights this wonderful vegetable– Roasted Parsnip Soup with Bacon and Fried Parsnip Curls.

Let’s talk about roasting vegetables for a moment, shall we? I love the simplicity of roasting. It can turn the ordinary into the sublime; it intensifies flavors, making them seem bold. Roasting is rich, hearty, unbelievably simple, the perfect match for a winter time vegetable. So I added the additional step of roasting to this soup. The final product is a soup that is deeply intense, full of the earthy flavors of the parsnip. Sure you could make this soup without roasting the vegetables, but then you would miss out on all of the rich flavors that are unearthed. And who wants to eat insipid soup?

Finally the pureed soup is topped with delicate fried ribbons of parsnip. This is done very simply with a vegetable peeler and some hot oil. Peel strips of parsnip and reserve these strips to fry. In a shallow pan, covered in a half inch of flavorless oil, heated to 300 degrees, sprinkle in a small batch of parsnip ribbons. The ribbons will fry, turning a golden brown, taking approximately 1 minute. Take the curls out with a slotted spoon, lay on a paper towel to drain, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The curls will be crisp, nutty, and still slightly chewy– the perfect compliment to a smoothly pureed soup.

Celebrate the parsnip in all of it many forms, roasted, simmered and FRIED. Each type of cooking lends a different quality to the soup, and topping the puree with parsnip curls and bacon (because really, what isn’t better with bacon?) brings the soup into that bourgie realm.

Roasted Parnip Soup with Bacon and Fried Parsnip Curls

2 – 2 1/4 lbs. parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 strips bacon
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
6 cups broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
salt and pepper

In a preheated 400 degree oven, roast the parsnips, tossed in olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper, until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, and reserve, leaving the additional rendered pork fat in the pan. Add the leeks, garlic, and celery to the pan, and saute until volume has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted parsnips, broth, bay leaf, and thyme, turning the heat up to high. Once a boil has been reached, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes have elapsed, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat off and puree with an emulsion blender, or in small batches with a regular blender. Soup should be pureed, but not entirely smooth. Return soup to pot, and taste for seasoning.

Serve each bowl of soup with crumbled bacon bits and additional parsnip curls.