Creamy Vegan Parsnip Vegetable Soup

This fall-winter soup presents cold-weather vegetables in a plant-base creamy base. Vegan parsnip vegetable soup is a perfect way to warm up on a chilly day. 

Parsnips are cold weather roots with a mildly sweet flavor. They cause little culinary excitement on their own but come to life with careful seasoning. 

They’re great teamed with other roots and tubers, like in this soup, as well a roasted vegetable medleys. They’re quite economical, too! 

More about parsnips

Parsnips look a bit like awkward beige carrots, and indeed, they’re related to them, and also to parsley. A good reason to buy them in season, about mid to late fall (depending on where they’re grown), is that the cool weather conditions in which they’re grown converts some of their starches to sugar — making their flavor delightfully sweet.

The most common use for parsnips may be as an addition to winter soups, but don’t forget to try them roasted — either as part of a medley or on their own. There’s no reason you can’t eat them raw (especially if finely grated) but they’re not as good that way.

Parsnips have a sweetish, distinct flavor that melds well with carrots, potatoes, and sweet potatoes in soups, stews, and roasted dishes. Here’s more than you’ll ever want to know about parsnips.

Recipe adapted from Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons by Nava Atlas. Photos of the soup by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.

Find more recipes featuring parsnips on our site:

• Carrot-Ginger Soup (with a Parsnip Variation)
• Miso Roasted Root Veggies
• Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

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Yield: 6

Creamy Vegan Parsnip Vegetable Soup

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Vegan parsnip vegetable soup is a perfect way to warm up on a chilly day. 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, diced
• Handful of celery leaves
• 16 ounces parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash)
• 1 large or 2 regular size salt-free vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for topping
• 1 1/2 cups plant-based milk, or as needed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 cup vegan sour cream or yogurt, plus more for garnish
• Croutons for topping, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and celery and sauté over medium-low heat until both are golden. 
2. Add the celery leaves, parsnips, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, seasoning, bouillon cubes, and just enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. With a slotted spoon, transfer half of the vegetables to a food processor or blender. Process until smoothly pureed, then stir back into the soup. Or simply insert an immersion blender into the soup pot and process until about half of the soup is pureed.
4. Stir in the parsley and enough plant-based milk to give the soup a slightly thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Return the soup to low heat and simmer very gently for 5 to 10 minutes, or until piping hot.
5. Serve at once, or if time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or so, then heat through before serving. Either way, just before serving, stir the sour cream or yogurt into the soup. Pass around croutons for topping individual servings if you’d like.

Notes

This soup thickens as it cools. Thin the consistency of any leftover soup with additional plant-based milk and adjust the seasonings.

Do you like roots?

5 Common Root Vegetables to Use in Fall and Winter Dishes

See more delectable vegan soups & stews.