Parsnip (Wait, Turnip?) Soup

+ The dining room table desk

I was a cookbook editor for years, and now I work for an heirloom bean company. Not to toot my own horn, but I'd say I know more than your average Jane about food, and in particular, vegetables. But apparently I could use some schooling in the root vegetable department, because I convinced myself that the beautiful turnips we got in our CSA box were parsnips.

So I opened my favorite cookbook, and found a parsnip soup recipe. I made the soup. My husband and I ate it for a civilized Sunday lunch and agreed that it was very good. Now that I know it was a turnip soup, the food nerd in me wants to make it with parsnips and do a comparison. Maybe I will!

Parsnips, turnips...whatever. I love the idea of a simple pureed soup topped with a fresh, zingy relish. I think all of the ingredients in this recipe are pretty flexible.

Here is the recipe, based on one from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden. (I think this blog should be called "I'm Obsessed with the cookbook Six Seasons." It's the cookbook I turn to most often, and I'm always happy with the results.)

For the soup:

Olive oil

1 to 1 1/4 lbs parsnips (or turnips!), peeled and thinly sliced

1 large celery stalk, sliced, leaves chopped and reserved

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

For the relish:

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon dried chile flakes

Extra-virgin olive oil

To make the soup: Heat a splash of olive oil in a saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the parsnips, celery, onion, and butter, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook the vegetables until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover the pot and add about 2 cups water (just enough to cover the vegetables). Increase heat to a simmer, cover, and continue to cook until the vegetables are very tender, another 10 or so minutes. Let the soup cool and then puree it in a blender (or use an immersion blender). Add more hot water if needed to reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the relish: In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, pine nuts, parsley, reserved celery leaves, lemon zest and juice, and chile flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in a big splash of olive oil.

Serve the soup topped with a spoonful of the relish.

Serves 2

One aspect of our dining table I haven't mentioned is that it also serves as my husband's work desk. He works from home and we don't have a separate office for him to use in our house. I managed to snap a candid shot of him at work recently!