This is a really interesting soup recipe from the newest issue of Cooking Light. It's a great way to start off a fall dinner. The soup is sweet from the apples, and the spices are very warming. The dollop of crème fraîche at the end adds a nice richness to the soup.
Apple-Parsnip Soup
Cooking Light October 2010
Pink Lady apples are wonderful for applesauce, and so work very well in this pureed appetizer soup. Sweet Fuji or all-purpose Spartan apples would also lend themselves nicely to the dish.
Yield: 8 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 cups chopped peeled Pink Lady apple (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 1/2 cups chopped peeled parsnip (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 teaspoons crème fraîche
1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple and the next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add parsnip, chicken broth, and apple cider; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until parsnip is tender.
2. Place half of parsnip mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat the procedure with remaining parsnip mixture. Stir in salt and pepper. Ladle about 3/4 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 teaspoon crème fraîche.
Nutritional Information:
Calories: 136
Fat: 5.6g (sat 1.6g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 1.8g
Carbohydrate: 21.2g
Fiber: 4.2g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Iron: 0.7mg
Sodium: 381mg
Calcium: 30mg
Big Flavors Rating: 4 StarsLabels: apple, apple cider, cardamom, cooking light, creme fraiche, curry, ginger, onion, parsnip, soup