Potato soup is a comfort food classic; here, parsnips take it to another level with their sweet woodsy flavor. Cumin adds a zesty smokiness, which is amplified by the smoky, chile-and-garlic-infused drizzle.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick coins
- 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 garlic cloves, minced and divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided plus more to taste
- 2 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped dried chiles, such as guajillo
- 3 tablespoons pepitas, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Add parsnips, potatoes, half of garlic, salt and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until garlic is slightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Add stock and milk; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and gently simmer until parsnips and potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add remaining garlic; cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add chiles, pepitas and remaining ¼ teaspoon each of salt and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until chiles are toasted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in red wine vinegar. Let cool. If desired, transfer to small jar, and blend with an immersion blender until finely chopped.
Remove Dutch oven from heat. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. Drizzle servings with chile mixture and garnish with more pepitas and cilantro, if desired.
