Description
This hearty Country Harvest Root Vegetable Soup is a creamy, flavorful blend of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnip, and celeriac, gently spiced with curry powder and thyme. Perfect for a cozy meal, it’s sautéed, simmered, and blended into a smooth, comforting soup served with a touch of cream and fresh parsley alongside warm crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Fats & Aromatics
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped into large dice
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
Spices & Seasonings
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (halve for table salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Pinch extra curry powder (for garnish)
- Pinch black pepper (for garnish)
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 & Dairy
- 1 1/2 litre (6 cups) water
- 1/2 cup thickened cream (heavy cream or regular), plus extra for garnish
To Serve
- Warm crusty bread
- Parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Put the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and becomes fragrant.
- Add Vegetables and Spices: Add the diced potato, sweet potato, carrots, parsnip, and celeriac to the pot along with the dried thyme and curry powder. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables start to soften on the outside, allowing the spices to bloom.
- Simmer: Turn the heat up to high and pour in the water, then season with salt and black pepper. Stir well. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer rapidly without a lid for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Check tenderness by piercing with a knife.
- Add Cream: Stir in the thickened cream and let the soup simmer gently for an additional 1 minute to incorporate the creaminess fully.
- Blend Until Smooth: Remove the pot from heat. Using a stick blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a little water to thin it to your desired consistency. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed and add extra cream if a richer taste is preferred.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with a little extra cream and sprinkle a pinch of curry powder, freshly ground black pepper, and chopped parsley on top. Serve immediately with warm crusty bread on the side.
Notes
- Note 1: Use your favorite curry powder variety. Clive’s curry powder is recommended, but any curry powder will work well.
- Note 2: Dried thyme adds earthiness; fresh thyme can be substituted but use sparingly.
- Note 3: Thickened cream enriches the soup’s texture. Heavy cream or regular cream can both be used.
- Note 5: A stick blender is ideal for blending directly in the pot, but a regular blender can also be used in batches; be careful with hot liquid.
- Adjust salt carefully depending on the type of salt used; kosher salt is less dense than table salt.
