Roasted Parnsip and Vanilla Chocolate Soup with Cocoa Dusted Croutons
by Chef Robert Irvine
Ingredients:
2 pounds parsnips (about 4 to 5 large parsnips) - peeled and cute into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup canola or olive oil (1/2 to used to roast parnships and the other half for the croutons) **I used less than this**
8 tablespoons butter (I used 3 tablespoons of lower fat margerine and it was more than enough)
1 large onion, chopped
2 quarts chicken stock **I used veggie stock, its about 9 cups**
1 whole vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon high quality vanilla extract **I used the extract**
salt and pepper
1 cup vanilla white chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream **I used low fat half and half**
1 fresh lemon or lime, halved cross wise
1 epee loaf french bread **I used challah so I think any good quality bread you like will work just fine**
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder **I used only about 1 tablespoon of sweetened cocoa powder
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Peel parsnips and cut into 1 inch chunks. Toss lightly with olive oil and place on the baking sheet.
Roast in the oven until the parsnips begin to soften and the tips begin to turn golden brown. You will know when they are ready when they can easily be pierced with a knife.
This takes about 40 minutes (**In my oven it took only 25 to 30 minutes so watch them carefully). Remove from the oven and set aside.
Line a baking sheet with aluminim foil. Cut the bread into chunks. Lightly toss with olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Dust the bread with the cocoa powder. Toast in the oven until the bread is well toasted.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
In a stock put, melt the butter over medium - low heat. Add the onions and gently saute until they are translucent. This should take about 10 minutes. The most important thing is that the onions be translucent.
Add the stock, vanilla and parsnips. Increase the heat to medium. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let cook until the parsnips are completely tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in the white chocolate chips and cook for an additional 5 minutes to allow them to melt and to integrate the flavors.
Remove the soup from the heat. If a vanilla pod was used, discard the pod. Stir in the cream. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Squeeze fresh lemon or limt juice into the pot and stir to combine.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with croutons. Makes 6 to 8 servings (I would say more like makes more like 10 good sizes servings).
Soup
Directions:
Peel the squash, parsnips, carrots and onions. Dice them into 1 inch cupes. toss them with the butter or oil. Spread them in one layer on a lightly greed or parchment lined baking sheet.
Directions:
Dice the vegetables and cheese into desire bite sized pieces. Toss with a little salt and pepper
Roaster Winter Vegetable Soup & Vegetable Cups
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
3 to 5 large parsnips
3 to 4 large carrots
2 to 3 medium onions
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
3 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled
6 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth or water
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Peel the squash, parsnips, carrots and onions. Dice them into 1 inch cupes. toss them with the butter or oil. Spread them in one layer on a lightly greed or parchment lined baking sheet.
Roast the vegetables in a preheated 400 degree over for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, toss the vegetables around a bit and add the garlic. Roast for an additional 30 minutes, turning the vegetables every 10 to 15 minutes - they need to be brown and caramlize o the ediges, to help bring out the flavor.
Once the vegetables are soft and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Puruee them in a food processer or blender, or put through a ricer. Add some of the water or brother to help make a smooth puree. Place the puree in a large pot and add the reminaing stock/wter. Bring the soup to a simmer. Salt and pper as desired.
Vegetable Cups
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
Wanton Wrappers
Olive Oil
Vegetable mixture
Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Dice the vegetables and cheese into desire bite sized pieces. Toss with a little salt and pepper
Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray
Brush the wanton wrapper lightly with olive oil on both sides
Place the wrapper in the muffin tin. Fill the wrapper with the vegetable/cheese mixture
Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes - until the edges of the wanton wrapper at crispy and golden brown
If adding meat to the mixture, cook the meat thoroughly first.
