Hazelnut Parsnip Soup

• portions: 4 servings
• temps actif: 15 minutes
• temps total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingrédients

1 acorn squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)

4 shallots, chopped

3 parsnips, peeled and chopped

6 ounces hazelnuts, toasted, peeled, and chopped

5 cups vegetable broth

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoon fresh rosemary

Sea salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the squash cut side up on a roasting pan or baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.

3. Roast the squash until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4. In the meantime, heat a stock pot with the 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and butter. Add in the leek and shallot and saute until beginning to soften.

5. Turn the heat to low and cook until the leek and shallot are golden and caramelized, about 15 minutes.

6. Add in the vegetable broth and deglaze the pan.

7. To the broth and onion mixture, add the peeled and chopped parsnips and about 3/4 of the hazelnuts, reserving some for garnish. Season with sea salt, pepper, and thyme.

8. Bring the broth to a boil, and then turn to low, cover, and simmer.

9. Let cook until the parsnips are tender, about 20 minutes.

10. When the acorn squash is cooked, scoop out the flesh and add it to the soup.

11. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until creamy and combined.

12. Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer to remove any of the hazelnut bits. Add the creamy soup mixture back to the same stock pot.

13. Over low heat, stir in the milk and fresh rosemary until combined and heated through.

14. Serve topped with additional chopped hazelnuts and fresh rosemary. Enjoy!

Notes

Tastes good in small quantities. You have to be in the mood for some earthy flavors. Best to pair with a sandwich.