This recipe comes from Nigel Slater’s Tender – ….tossed, tender, they sure are trying to make veg seem more interesting than it might be. BUT this recipe is a great one. Ideal for winter. Can be made even with very sad looking parsnips that you might otherwise think you had to bin.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 large or 4-5 smaller parsnips
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• a little flour
• 1 tsp dried chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 liter veg stock
• 2 Tbsp grainy mustard
• (To serve) Cheddar some cubes of a good strong one
• (to serve) light cream

Method:

• Peal and roughly chop the onion and parsnips
• Melt the butter in a large pot
• Add the onion and once it has started to relax add the parsnips.
• Peel the garlic and squash it, add to the pan – cook over a medium heat until the onion and parsnips have slightly coloured – this is essential to the flavour of the soup.
• Sprinkle a dusting of flour into the pot and stir in the chili flakes and turmeric and cook for 1-2 mins to take away the raw taste of the flour.
• Add the stock and bring to the boil stirring it now and then. When it is boiling turn down the heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 mins until the vegetables are soft.
• Blend with the trusty stick blender to a puree and add the mustard.
• If you are eating it straight away stir in the cream and serve.
• Add cubes of cheddar to the bottom of each bowl before pouring on the soup – really yummy.
• If you are not eating it straight away – I would leave out the cream until you re-heat it and stir it through to serve.Eat this with some hot toast or even crumpet from the next recipe – ideal.