Parsnip and pea soup with fennel seeds

A rich, creamy and delicious vegan parsnip soup, topped with crunchy croutons and toasted fennel seeds.

DH and I are polar opposites when it comes to soup. I love it, but he says it’s a waste of vegetables and he’d rather eat something else. As a result, I don’t make nearly as much soup as I would really like to.

Soup love!

Fortunately, my Mum loves soup even more than I do, so when she comes to visit, I have a terrific excuse to make soup. Especially if, as happened recently, she comes to visit while DH is away. 

But what kind of soup…?

In preparation for her arrival, I got out a big pan ready to make some lovely parsnip soup. I was all set, and raring to go. I had a bag of parsnips, onions, celery and vegetable stock at the ready. But I hesitated. Standing there, staring at the vegetables on the counter, I struggled to decide what seasonings and flavourings might make their way into the pot.

Spices for parsnip soup

Curry spices are good with parsnips, but it’s a combination I use pretty regularly. This time, I wanted something a bit different. I considered making a batch of my parsnip soup with pears, ginger & coconut, but we didn’t have any pears. So, I turned to my trusty copy of The Flavour Thesaurus to help me create a delicious parsnip soup.

The Flavour Thesaurus

Have you come across this book before? It’s truly a remarkable volume, and one of the most useful and well-used kitchen books I own. It lists dozens, maybe even hundreds of ingredients, and tells you all of their complimentary flavours, classic pairings and so on. In this instance it provided pages of suggestions for additional ingredients that would work well alongside the parsnips.

I ultimately plumped for fennel, with its subtle aniseed flavour, and some peas to highlight the sweetness and add a fresh, green note to the parsnip soup. 

Easy parsnip soup – just leave it to simmer

The soup simmered away while I got on with some other chores, and it filled the house with a rich, sweetly savoury aroma. I could hardly wait to try it. Once blended into smooth and creamy unctuousness, I knew that a few crunchy croutons and toasted fennel seeds would be the perfect garnish.

Parsnip soup ingredients

To make this delicious parsnip soup yourself at home, you will need the following ingredients:

• parsnips – of course!
• onion – can’t make a soup without onions!
• celery
• frozen peas – add sweetness and flavour
• olive oil
• fennel seeds – for their lovely aniseedy flavour
• vegetable stock
• milk or non-dairy alternative
• salt and pepper to season

If you want to make the crunchy crouton topping you will also need a slice of wholemeal bread, more fennel seeds and olive oil for frying.

Maternal approval

Mum and I ate this soup for lunch on the first day of her visit. We sat together at the kitchen table, each enjoying a bowl of thick and delicious, fragrant parsnip soup. “How’s the soup?” I asked.

“I love it!” she replied.

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📖 Recipe

Creamy parsnip & pea soup with fennel seeds

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An easy-to-make, rich, creamy and delicious vegan parsnip soup, topped with crunchy croutons and toasted fennel seeds.

4.80 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings 4

Calories 317 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 700 g parsnips
• 1 medium onion
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 750 ml vegetable stock
• 125 g frozen peas
• 200 ml non-dairy milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the croutons (optional)

• 1 slice wholemeal bread
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Instructions

 

• 700 g (25 oz) parsnips
  Peel the parsnips, wash, and cut into 1.5-2cm (¾-1 inch) chunks. Set aside.
• 1 medium onion, 2 sticks celery
  Peel and dice the onion. Trim the celery and chop into small pieces.
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
  Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium flame. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until beginning to soften.
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  Add the prepared parsnips and the fennel seeds to the pan. Stir well and continue to cook for a further 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 750 ml (3 ¼ cups) vegetable stock
  Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the parsnips are very soft.
• 125 g (1 cup) frozen peas
  Add the frozen peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• 200 ml (1 cup) non-dairy milk, Salt and pepper to taste
  Add the non-dairy milk and blend the soup until very smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as required.

To make the croutons

• 1 slice wholemeal bread
  Cut the crusts from the bread and discard. Cut the bread into 1cm (⅓ inch) strips, then cut on an angle to create diamond shapes.
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Test a small offcut of the bread – if it sizzles immediately when it hits the pan, the pan is hot enough. Add the bread diamonds and fry for 15-20 seconds before turning over and adding the fennel seeds. 
• Fry for another 10-15 seconds until the croutons are crisp and brown on both sides and the fennel seeds are toasted. Tip into a bowl and allow to cool.
  

To serve

• Ladle the hot soup into bowls and sprinkle a few croutons and toasted fennel seeds over.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Creamy parsnip & pea soup with fennel seeds

Amount per Serving

Calories

317

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

13

g

20

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Sodium

 

827

mg

36

%

Potassium

 

900

mg

26

%

Carbohydrates

 

47

g

16

%

Fiber

 

12

g

50

%

Sugar

 

15

g

17

%

Protein

 

7

g

14

%

Vitamin A

 

847

IU

17

%

Vitamin C

 

48

mg

58

%

Calcium

 

179

mg

18

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword parsnip, peas

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Other soups you might enjoy include this lovely cream of mushroom soup, this vegan courgette and potato soup, and this vibrant carrot and tomato soup with ginger and orange.

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