CHEF'S DELIGHT: Honey Roast Parsnip and Carrot Soup

A WORD FROM THE CHEF

This recipe for honey roast parsnip and honey carrot soup is a deliciously creamy blend of roasted root vegetables with a hint of sweetness.

INGREDIENTS

(Serves 4-6)

Two large carrots

Two parsnips

Two small leeks

1tbsp rapeseed oil

Knob of butter

1tsp fresh thyme leaves

1tsp honey

1tsp apple cider vinegar

900ml (1½ pints) vegetable stock (from cubes is fine)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

porridge bread, to serve

METHOD

Peel and carrots and parsnips and cut into even-sized chunks. Trim the leeks and finely chop.

Heat a saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the oil and butter and swirl until the butter has melted. Tip in the leeks and sauté for two to three minutes until softened.

Add the carrots and parsnips, then season with salt and pepper and sauté for another five minutes. Add the thyme, honey and vinegar, stirring to combine, then pour in the stock. Cover with a piece of parchment and then a lid. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the vegetables for 20 minutes until tender. Carefully remove the lid and parchment and using a hand blender blitz the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and serve with some porridge bread, if liked.

ABOUT THE CHEF

Celebrity chef Neven Maguire is the proprietor of the award-winning MacNean’s Bistro in Blacklion and a regular on our TV screens. His current series of Neven’s Portuguese Food Trails airs on Wednesdays on RTÉ One at 8pm.