Wild Parsnip & Apple Soup

On a recent frosty winter morning we we’re down by the riverside harvesting willow saplings to make a wattle compost bin when we happened upon this lush green plant popping up amidst the yarrow and fennel. With it’s yellow flowering umbels we recognised it as part of the Apiaceae family and knew that there would potentially be a very tasty root under the river bank mud. After much pulling and maneuvering we pulled up the biggest parsnip I have ever seen!

I was identifying it as we we’re cutting down the willows and found out that it is in fact an edible wild parsnip but that the stems and leaves contain a highly toxic sap which, when exposed to sunlight, will cause blisters and burns and can cause blindness if it comes in contact with the eyes. My partner hastily washed his hands in the river and we took a lot more care with gloves when harvesting for this soup. I’m grateful that it was a cold, shady, winters morning!

This soup is hearty and simple featuring the wild parsnips and apples, topped with caramelised onions, tofu “bacon”, and toasted walnuts. Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Wild Parsnip & Apple Soup

Ingredients: Serves 6

Soup:

1 bulb garlic, roasted

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large onion, diced

6 cups wild parsnips, chopped

2 small apples, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

6 cups homemade vegetable stock

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon coriander powder

2 tins butter beans, drained

3 lemons, juiced

Tofu “Bacon”:

1 block firm tofu, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Olive oil, for frying

Toppings:

2 large onions, caramelised

1 cup walnut halves, toasted

Fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. In a medium tray combine the soy sauce, liquid smoke, brown sugar, nutritional yeast, and black pepper. Coat each slice of tofu in this mixture and marinate in the tray overnight.
2. Preheat the oven on fan bake to 200 degrees Celsius. Chop a small bit off the top of your bulb of garlic, place on a square of tinfoil and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap the tinfoil around the bulb and roast for 40 minutes.
3. Caramelise the onions, toast the walnuts, and fry the tofu “bacon”. Set aside.
4. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot and place it over medium heat. Sauté onion for 6 minutes. Add the wild parsnip and apple (you may need to remove the tough woody centre of the parsnips and just use the softer flesh on the outside).
5. Add the rosemary, parsley, and vegetable stock. Squeeze in the bulb of roasted garlic and bring to a simmer. Add the pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, and coriander powder. Simmer for around 15-20 minutes or until the parsnips are soft. Add the butter beans and lemon juice and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
6. Serve the wild parsnip and apple soup topped with golden caramelised onions, chopped toasted walnuts, crispy tofu “bacon”, and fresh sprigs of rosemary. This soup is enjoyed best eaten by the fire with large hunks of sourdough bread!

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