As I was saying earlier, I live with three others here in San Francisco (Neon, Techno & Trucker).  What I haven’t told you is we live in a very chilly, old Victorian home.  It’s a beautiful house, with 10-foot ceilings and a very noticeable draft.  Of course, it would be insanely expensive to heat the place, so while we shiver in our living room, bundled in blankets on the couch, I like to serve a soup that my Grandma taught me to make for cold winter nights.

Grandma’s Curried Parsnip Soup

Serves: 12 bowls (as a first course), or…
Serves: 24 cups (as a standing hors d’oeuvre at a dinner party)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbps butter
• 2 medium onions, peeled and diced
• 3 lbs parsnips, peeled and diced
• 2 tsps curry powder
• 1 tsps ground cumin
• 2.8 litres chicken stock
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1.5 cups fresh cream
• paprika to garnish

METHOD

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Then sautée the onions & parsnips together over a medium heat for about 3 minutes.
• Stir in curry powder & cumin and sautée for another 2 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and simmer for about 45 minutes until vegetables are tender.
• Cool slightly then place vegetable mixture in a blender/food processor and puree till smooth.
• Return your soup to the saucepan, reheat and add cream.  DO NOT BOIL.
• Serve with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of paprika.