Description
A comforting and hearty Country Harvest Root Vegetable Soup featuring a blend of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnip, and celeriac, seasoned with curry powder and thyme, simmered to perfection, and finished with a creamy texture. Perfect for chilly days, served with warm crusty bread and garnished with fresh parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 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
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)
Liquids and Seasoning
- 1 1/2 litre (6 cups) water
- 2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (halve for table salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup thickened cream (heavy cream or regular), plus extra for garnish
Garnish and Serving
- 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, add the chopped onion and garlic, cooking for 2 minutes until the onion softens but does not brown, to release their flavors.
- Cook Vegetables with Spices: Add the cubed root vegetables, dried thyme, and curry powder to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables start to soften on the outside and the spices are fragrant.
- Simmer: Turn the stove heat up to high. Pour in the water and add salt and black pepper. Stir the mixture and wait until it reaches a rapid simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-high and simmer without a lid for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender when tested with a knife.
- Add Cream: Stir in the thickened cream and allow the soup to simmer gently for another minute to incorporate the cream fully and enrich the flavor.
- Blend: Remove the pot from heat. Using a stick blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency by adding water if too thick, and season with extra salt, pepper, or cream according to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with extra cream, and sprinkle with a pinch of curry powder, freshly chopped parsley, and black pepper for garnish. Serve accompanied by warm crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- Use a good-quality curry powder to enhance the flavor; Clive’s curry powder is recommended but any brand will work.
- Dried thyme adds an earthy aroma; substitute with fresh thyme if preferred but use less.
- Thickened cream can be heavy or regular; adjust amount for creaminess.
- Check vegetable tenderness with a knife before blending to ensure smooth texture.
- A stick blender is preferred for ease, but a regular blender may be used in batches.
