Creamy Parsnip Soup

 From The Spruce Eats this was very simple and simply fabulous! I used leek on mine and garnished with creme fraiche and fresh thyme.

1 onion or leek 

4 tablespoons butter 

1 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste) 

1 garlic clove (minced) 

2 pounds parsnips (peeled and chopped) 

4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth 

2 cups low-fat or whole milk 

Dash of freshly ground white or black pepper (to taste) 

Garnish: fresh herbs (shown here with chervil, but parsley or chives are also nice)

Gather the ingredients. 

Peel and chop the onion or leek; if using a leek, be sure to rinse the resulting pieces perfectly clean so your soup won't be gritty. 

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion or leek and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is a bit creamy looking, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat, if needed, so the onions or leeks cook but don't start to brown. 

While the onions or leeks cook, peel and mince the garlic clove. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. 

While the onion or leek cook, also peel and chop the parsnips. Add them and the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until the parsnips are very tender to the bite, about 20 minutes.

Purée the soup until very smooth. The easiest way to do this is to use a hand held immersion blender.

Add the milk and gently heat, stirring occasionally, until nice and hot all the way through. (Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil since that will curdle the milk.) 

While the soup heats, finely chop or mince any herbs you want to use as a garnish. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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