This creamy parsnip and roasted garlic soup is made for chilly evenings. Parsnips bring gentle sweetness and an earthy flavor, while a small amount of potato gives the soup body. A whole garlic bulb roasts until its cloves are soft enough to squeeze from their skins. Cream rounds everything out, with lemon juice and black pepper to balance the sweet roots.
Roast the garlic while the soup simmers
Roasting mellows garlic’s sharp bite and makes the cloves soft enough to blend into the soup. The oven does that work while you chop and simmer the vegetables. Parsnips suit both fall and winter cooking, so this is a useful recipe to return to through the colder months.
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At a glance
Creamy Parsnip & Roasted Garlic Soup for Cozy Fall Evenings
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 5 min
- Yield
- 4 generous servings
Ingredients for 4 generous servings
Allow about 20 minutes preparation and 45 minutes cooking, with the garlic and soup cooking at the same time: about 1 hour 5 minutes total. A large garlic bulb may take longer. Vegetable weights are after peeling and trimming. You will need a large soup pot, a small covered ovenproof dish and an immersion blender. Gram weights are the recipe reference.
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| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 700 g | parsnips, peeled and trimmed (about 1 1/2 lb) |
| 200 g | floury potatoes, peeled (about 7 oz; russet is suitable) |
| 150 g | onion, peeled (about 1 medium) |
| 1 | medium garlic bulb (about 40 g edible cloves without skins) |
| 30 g | olive oil*, divided into 5 g for the garlic, 20 g for sautéing and 5 g for serving |
| 900 ml | mild vegetable broth* (about 3 3/4 US cups) |
| 150 g | liquid whipping cream, about 30% fat, divided into 100 g for the soup and 50 g for serving |
| 15 g | fresh lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon), plus a little more to taste if needed |
| 0.5 g | freshly ground black pepper* (about 1/4 teaspoon), plus more to taste |
| 1 | small pinch fine salt* (about 0.5 g) to start, plus more to taste depending on the broth* |
| 8 g | fresh chives |
| 100–200 ml | hot water, only if needed to thin the soup |
How to make creamy parsnip and roasted garlic soup
- Roast the garlic: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C conventional) or 355°F (180°C fan). Remove loose outer skins from the garlic bulb, keeping the bulb intact. Slice a thin layer off the top to expose the clove tips. Place cut side up in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with 5 g olive oil and cover with an ovenproof lid. Roast for 35–45 minutes, until the cloves are golden and very soft. Allow longer if needed; they should mash easily without turning black.
- Prepare the vegetables: While the garlic roasts, cut the parsnips and potatoes into roughly 1/2-inch (1.5 cm) cubes. Remove any noticeably woody core from very large parsnips, then weigh out 700 g. Finely dice the onion. Measure the vegetable broth, divide the cream into 100 g and 50 g, and finely snip the chives.
- Soften the vegetables: Heat 20 g olive oil in the soup pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the parsnips and potatoes and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring, without deeply browning them.
- Simmer until tender: Add the 900 ml vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add about 0.25 g black pepper and initially just a small pinch of salt; if the broth already tastes well salted, wait until the end to add salt. Cover and gently simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the parsnips and potatoes are very tender.
- Blend: Let the roasted garlic cool enough to handle, then squeeze the soft cloves from their skins into the pot. Discard the skins. Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully blend with an immersion blender, keeping the head below the surface. Stop once smooth rather than blending for several minutes, which can make the potatoes gluey.
- Finish and season: Stir in 100 g cream and gently reheat without a vigorous boil. If too thick, add hot water a little at a time, using about 100–200 ml only as needed. Start with half the lemon juice. Taste a small spoonful after letting it cool, then gradually add the remaining lemon juice and adjust the salt and black pepper. Aim for a savory, rounded flavor with gentle freshness rather than a sharply sour soup.
- Serve: Divide between four bowls. Swirl the remaining 50 g liquid cream over the tops, drizzle with the last 5 g olive oil and scatter over the chives. Finish with the remaining measured black pepper and serve hot.
Pick firm parsnips and trim woody centers
Choose firm roots and cut away any woody center in larger parsnips before weighing. Parsnips provide the characteristic earthy sweetness here; parsley root is a different ingredient despite its similar appearance. Gently softening the vegetables keeps the soup pale and lets the roasted garlic stand out.
How to get a silky texture
Make sure the vegetables are genuinely tender before blending. The small amount of potato thickens the soup, while cream softens its texture. Stop blending once smooth. If it becomes too thick, loosen it with hot water rather than more cream, then taste and adjust the seasoning again.
Make-ahead and freezing tips
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 days. Reheat thoroughly, stirring, to at least 165°F (74°C). For freezing, leave out the cream, chives and finishing drizzle until after thawing; freeze the cooled base in portions for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat and add a little water if needed.
A dairy-free variation
Replace the whipping cream with an unsweetened plant-based cooking cream. A neutral oat or soy version keeps the parsnip and garlic flavors clearer than strongly flavored coconut milk. Check allergens and expect a different texture and nutrition; this variation is not included in the estimate below.
Estimated nutrition
Per serving, one quarter of the complete soup including the cream swirl, olive oil and chives: approximately 387 calories, 5.1 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate and 19 g fat. Calculated with 30%-fat cream and representative vegetable broth. Heavier cream, different brands, garlic bulb size and portions change the estimate. Bread and plant-based variations are not included.
Contains milk; vegetable broth may contain celery and other allergens. Check packages. Blend hot soup carefully, and use a countertop blender for hot liquids only as its manufacturer instructs.
Recipe by myai
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