Description
A comforting Country Harvest Root Vegetable Soup featuring a medley of root vegetables simmered with fragrant curry powder and thyme, finished with cream for a rich, smooth texture. Perfect for a hearty main or starter, served with crusty bread and garnished with parsley and a hint of curry.
Ingredients
Scale
Base and Seasonings
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped into large dice
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 litre (6 cups) water
- 2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup thickened cream (heavy cream or regular), plus extra for garnish
Root Vegetables
- 1 large potato (~300g/10oz), peeled, cut into 2.5cm/1" cubes
- 1 medium sweet potato (350g/12oz), peeled, cut into 2.5cm/1" cubes
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5" pieces
- 1 small/medium parsnip (150g/5oz), peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5" pieces
- 1 small celeriac (600g/1.2 lb), peeled, cut into 1.5cm/0.5" pieces (~2 heaped cups)
Serving/Garnish (Optional)
- Warm crusty bread
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Pinch extra curry powder
- Pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté: Put the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, cook the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until the onion is softened.
- Add Vegetables and Spices: Add root vegetables, thyme, and curry powder. Cook for three minutes, stirring regularly, until the outside of the vegetables starts to soften.
- Simmer: Turn stove up to high. Add water, salt, and pepper. Stir, then once it comes to a simmer, lower heat to medium-high and simmer rapidly for 15 minutes without a lid until all the vegetables are soft. Check softness with a knife.
- Add Cream: Stir in cream and simmer for 1 minute to combine flavors.
- Blend: Remove from heat and use a stick blender to blitz the soup until smooth. Do it in batches if necessary, covering the blender hole with a folded tea towel for safety. Adjust seasoning to taste by adding water to thin if needed, salt, pepper, or extra cream for a richer texture.
- Serve: Serve the soup in bowls. Drizzle with extra cream, a pinch of curry powder, parsley, and black pepper. Accompany with warm crusty bread.
Notes
- Use regular grocery store Western curry powder for a neutral yet flavorful profile without making it taste like a curry.
- Fresh thyme, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, or herbes de Provence can substitute dried thyme.
- For a lighter finish, substitute cream with 1/3 cup milk plus 2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter.
- Root vegetable variations are flexible; pumpkin can be used instead, but be mindful that parsnip and celeriac have stronger flavors and can dominate the soup. Swedes or turnips make good substitutes for these.
- Do not overfill the blender; blend in batches and cover the opening to prevent splashes.
- Leftovers keep for 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 300 ml)
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
