This parsnip and carrot soup pairs sweet, earthy root vegetables with bright pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, and salty crumbled feta. Serve it as part of your Thanksgiving dinner with this cream cheese garlic bread for dipping!
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If you're looking for a cozy soup with a twist, this parsnip and carrot soup makes a colorful addition to your fall and winter rotation. Roasting the vegetables brings out their sweetness and adds depth to this creamy soup, while the fresh toppings give each spoonful a little tang and crunch.
This is a great recipe to make during the holidays or to make use of excess garden veggies! Plus, it's gluten-free and easy to make vegan: just use vegetable broth and skip the feta (or use a dairy-free feta). If you have leftover carrots, use them to make these parmesan roasted rainbow carrots.
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🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Parsnips & carrots: Can't make parsnip & carrot soup without parsnips and carrots. You'll need a pound of each.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic. I recommend 6-12 cloves, but you can use a whole head if you want, since it'll develop a milder flavor when roasting.
- Onion: Yellow onion is ideal, but red onion or white onion will work as well.
- Broth: I suggest chicken broth or vegetable broth, but homemade crockpot beef bone broth can work as well, if you want a richer flavor. If you're watching your salt, use low-sodium broth, since the broth makes up most of the sodium in this soup.
- Silken tofu: This is optional, but adds protein without compromising the flavor. Alternatively, you could use cottage cheese. I wouldn't use firm tofu, as it has a grainier texture.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika, dried rosemary, salt, white pepper. Cumin or curry powder would be great here too. For a more Middle Eastern/North African twist, you could use this harissa substitute spice blend instead.
- Fresh ginger: Optional, but adds a bit of warmth.
- Lemon juice: Or white wine vinegar.
- Optional garnishes: Crumbled feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, Italian parsley, pomegranate molasses, chopped pistachios, roasted pepitas, sunflower seeds.
🥕 How To Make Parsnip and Carrot Soup
Preheat oven to 400°F
Step 1: Peel and chop carrots and parsnips into roughly 1-inch pieces. Cut 1 medium yellow onion into thick wedges. Add to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, along with peeled garlic cloves, then drizzle with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil and season with rosemary, smoked paprika, salt, and white pepper.
Step 2: Roast veggies for 40-50 minutes or until tender and lightly caramelized, turning halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside.
Step 3: In a large pot, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Add minced fresh ginger and cook 30-60 seconds, stirring until fragrant. Add vegetables and broth, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Add silken tofu and blend until completely smooth. Stir in lemon juice, then taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
Step 5: Serve individual portions topped with pomegranate seeds, feta cheese, chopped parsley, pistachios, and, optionally, a swirl of pomegranate molasses.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Should I peel parsnips for soup?
You don't strictly have to peel parsnips before using them in soup, especially if you intend to puree them. However, while young parsnips have soft skin, larger, older parsnips can have thicker, more fibrous skin that can be bitter, so I generally prefer to peel them.
Is a white carrot a parsnip?
No, a white carrot is different than a parsnip. Before carrots were selectively bred to produce the orange color we know and love, natural carrots were originally white, purple, or yellow - now affectionately known as "rainbow carrots." Parsnips, on the other hand, are a distinctly different vegetable.
Can you freeze parsnip and carrot soup?
Yes, parsnip and carrot soup freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely, then freeze it in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to 3 months. Freeze the soup without the toppings and add fresh garnishes after reheating. If it looks a little separated after thawing, just give it a good stir or a quick blend.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- The garlic will become milder in flavor as it roasts. For that reason, I recommend using at least 6 cloves, but you could even use an entire head of garlic if you want a more pronounced flavor.
- Garnish individual portions with the parsley, feta, and pomegranate seeds, rather than mixing them into the whole pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep toppings separate.
- If reheating from frozen, thaw the parsnip and carrot soup in the fridge overnight, then warm in a saucepan, stirring frequently, until heated through.
🥘 More Soup Recipes You'll Love
Want more recipes like this parsnip and carrot soup? Check out these other hearty soup recipes!
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°FPeel and chop carrots and parsnips into roughly 1-inch pieces. Cut 1 medium yellow onion into thick wedges. Add to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, along with peeled garlic cloves, then drizzle with 1½ tablespoons olive oil and season with rosemary, smoked paprika, salt, and white pepper.
- Roast veggies for 40-50 minutes or until tender and lightly caramelized, turning halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium-low heat. Add minced fresh ginger and cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring until fragrant. Add vegetables and broth, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add silken tofu and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth. Stir in lemon juice, then taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve individual portions topped with pomegranate seeds, feta cheese, chopped parsley, pistachios, and, optionally, a swirl of pomegranate molasses.
Nutrition
Notes
- The garlic will become milder in flavor as it roasts. For that reason, I recommend using at least 6 cloves, but you could even use an entire head of garlic if you want a more pronounced flavor.
- Garnish individual portions with the parsley, feta, and pomegranate seeds, rather than mixing them into the whole pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep toppings separate.
- If reheating from frozen, thaw the parsnip and carrot soup in the fridge overnight, then warm in a saucepan, stirring frequently, until heated through.
Nena Sterner says
Give this recipe a try, then come back and tell us how you like it!