Roasted Apple And Parsnip Soup

Ingredients for 6 Portions:
2 lbs parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch sticks

2 green apples, peeled, cut in thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
Place parsnip and apple slices on foil lined try and toss well with oil and salt to make sure they are well coated.  

Roast in 450*F oven for approximately 30 minutes to caramelize. 

Note: a diced yellow onion could be added to the roasted vegetables. I didn’t want this too sweet, so I tried without one, and it was amazing, but I'll try the next batch with that addition.

When vegetables are caramelized, place in a soup pot with: 

1 russet potato, peeled, cut in 8 pieces

6 cups chicken broth (or combo with water)

Cook vegetables in chicken broth until soft or done.  Add cream and cayenne, use immersion blender.  If fibrous, strain.

1/2 cup heavy cream

pinch of cayenne

- Garnish with croutons, crumbled blue cheese, and chives

Besides being a delicious and comforting winter meal, this roasted apple and parsnip soup is great for honing your seasoning skills. With its mild, earthy, slightly sweet, gently aromatic flavor, it’s the perfect vehicle for tasting the effects of salt on food. 

NOTE When you make this, salt the vegetables when you roast them, but then wait until the soup is done before adding any more. Once the soup is finished, and you’ve achieved your desired texture, then taste and add salt, a pinch at a time. As you do, take a minute in between samples, along with a sip of water, and you’ll really notice how small additions of salt amplify the flavors. Continue until it sings. 

I chose blue cheese croutons for the garnish was their sharp, salty finish, and it was a beautiful combination. 

Crispy Bluetons  Blue Cheese Croutons

Ingredients for 8 portions Blue Cheese Croutons:

1/2 loaf fresh or day old french or Italian bread (try to use something not already dry and hard)

5-6 tbsp hot melted unsalted butter

2-3 ounces strong blue cheese, placed in freezer until firm

Directions:
*bake at 350 F. until browned and crisp. 

We only use three ingredients here, which is why this works so well. Try to resist the temptation to add salt, pepper, or other spices, as the blue cheese will provide all the punch you need. We’re going for pure blue cheese flavor in a buttery, crunchy package, and anything else would just get in the way. 

Another tip here is to use bread that’s not too stale. I find that dry bread makes a crispy-hard crouton; verses fresher bread, which has more crispy-brittle texture. You can file that one under theories I can’t prove, but don’t need to. 

The type of blue cheese really doesn’t matter to the technique, but the sharper, and more intense the flavor, the better. Like I always say, you're the boss, so use whatever you like.

I guessed at some amounts below, but you don’t need those, since this is simply as much butter and cheese as you feel comfortable with. I hope you give these blue cheese croutons a try soon. Enjoy!