Spicy Parsnip Soup with Edumame Beans

What to do with those leftover parsnips? This might be the answer. Spicy Parsnip soup is a favorite of mine, but I can't eat the ready-made variety as it contains potato starch. So many soups are out of the question for potato allergy sufferers, but I enjoy making soups. Did you know that before the potato was brought to Europe, our staple carbs came from neeps of various descriptions? Turnips, swedes and parsnips were once staples - in our potato free house they still are! Edumame beans are one of the few pulses in the vegetarian larder that are complete protein foods. They don't need combining with grains and are delicious too. This recipe is a blow by blow account of how to make this delicious winter warmer from scratch, but you could make it from leftover parsnips too!

All images in this lens are my own photos! All rights reserved.

The first step in making Spicy Parsnip Soup with Edumame Beans is to finely chop a red onion and fry in about a tablespoon of oil, to this, you add a teaspoon of mustard seeds, and a tablespoon of cumin and coriander seed. Add about a quarter cup of red lentils to the mix, plus 2-3 large parsnips chopped into chunks. (Or your Christmas leftover parsnips which will probably be even more tasty)

After frying your Parsnip, spices and onions together for a minute or two, add a couple of pints of water and birds eye chillis to taste. I like quite a lot as I like really hot food, you may prefer to add less. You could start with 3-5 chillies and see how it goes! Cover and cook until the parsnips are soft and the chillies fully hydrated.

I mashed the parsnips rather than liquidising them, because I wanted a really thick and hearty spicy parsnip soup and a soup with whole chillies in. You could use a blender or food processor if short on time and energy though! Following this, I added a little more water, some Knorr Vegetable Stock and simmered it while I fetched the beans!

Spicy Parsnip Soup benefits from adding Edumame Beans. Edumame beans for the uninitiated are frozen raw soya beans. They are very tasty in soups, stews and curries and have the distinction of being a complete protein! They do need thorough cooking though, so when using them, read the instructions carefully. I cooked mine in the soup for about half an hour, brought to the boil for about ten minutes, then simmered for a further twenty with the lid on. I tend to be a bit nervous of undercooked beans.

Take some cherry tomatoes and cut them in half, add to the soup and simmer for a further five minutes. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and the Spicy Parsnip and Edumame Bean Soup is ready to enjoy!