Healthy carrot and parsnip slow-cooked soup (recipe)

After a week of cakes, biscuits and treats galore, I’ve been craving something wholesome, and this is where the slow cooker really comes into its own, I think.

I find that first thing in the morning, before my will power has been eroded by the stress of the day is the perfect time to load a few good veg into the cooker. Then, when evening meal time comes around, instead of reaching for a quick and unhealthy option, our home is filled with the smell of a lovely slow-cooked meal, and it’s easy to make the healthy choice.

So, here’s my recipe for carrot and parsnip slow-cooked soup – all the cooking liquor stays in the soup, so you don’t lose any of the goodness, and it’s a lovely combination of earthy parsnips, sweet carrots and a garlic kick. Yum!

Here’s how to make enough to feed four – it’s low in fat, so we had ours with chunky granary bread.

Ingredients

• 750g parsnips
• 900g carrots
• 1 stock cube
• Either 1 tbsp oil and 30g butter
• Or a little spray oil if on a calorie controlled diet
• 1 large white onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Peel and chop the carrot and parsnip into 1 inch pieces and put in the slow cooker
2. Make up a litre of half strength vegetable stock and add to the slow cooker
3. Replace the lid and leave on low for 7 hours
4. Heat the oil and butter (or spray oil) in a pan over a medium heat
5. Finely chop the onion and garlic and add to the pan
6. Fry gently until soft and just starting to brown
7. Add to the slow cooker and stir, then blitz the lot with a stick blender or in a food processor
8. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then serve hot

Healthy carrot and parsnip slow-cooked soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Servings: 4 People

Author: oliver.bennett

A lovely combination of earthy parsnips, sweet carrots and a garlic kick

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Ingredients

• 750 g parsnips
• 900 g carrots
• 1 stock cube
• 1 tbsp oil or 30g butter
• 1 large white onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Peel and chop the carrot and parsnip into 1 inch pieces and put in the slow cooker
• Make up a litre of half strength vegetable stock and add to the slow cooker
• Replace the lid and leave on low for 7 hours
• Heat the oil and butter (or spray oiin a pan over a medium heat
• Finely chop the onion and garlic and add to the pan
• Fry gently until soft and just starting to brown
• Add to the slow cooker and stir, then blitz the lot with a stick blender or in a food processor
• Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then serve hot

Nutrition

Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 997mg | Potassium: 1475mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 37589IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 2mg

* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published.

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Some tips and tricks for getting the best out of your slow cooked soup and store it.

What are the flavours can I add to my soup?

The great thing about slow cooking is how much of the flavour gets locked in, so even quite simple soups will taste absolutely delicious.

If you want to keep this soup nice and hearty then autumn and winter veg will work best, so if you have any Brussels sprouts, leeks, swede, celeriac or asparagus around then use it!

For more texture beans work well so try blitzing then adding cannelloni, kidney beans or chickpeas and returning to the slow cooker on high for 15 minutes.

Spices like turmeric, cumin and curry powder would be very tasty and fresh herbs like parsley and sage would be a nice, subtle addition.

If you’re stuck for inspiration take the lid off your soup, inhale, then go to your spice rack and see what spices smell good to you right now.

What could you do differently with the flavours

I like my soup simply with a little crusty bread so why not try these super quick soda bread rolls that don’t require any rise time.

How should I store left over soup?

You can refrigerate soup, just make sure that you get it down to room temperature and into the fridge as quickly as you can and store in an airtight container.

To reheat you can either use a microwave by simply placing the soup in a microwave safe bowl with a lid. Or you can put it in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, remembering to stir often so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Can you freeze soup?

Soup generally freezers quite well although thick chunky soups might take a bit of a hit when it comes to the texture. Store the soup in an airtight container or ziploc bag. If you have a lot of leftover soup then use several containers or bags which will allow you to take out only what you need.

To cook from frozen it’s easiest to use a microwave, or you can defrost the soup by leaving it in the fridge overnight.

Can it be prepared ahead of time?

You can certainly prepare all the vegetables the day before and store them in a ziplock bag in the fridge. As this is a slow cooker recipe you can also keep the soup hot and ready to serve for longer than usual.

Is this soup recipe vegan?

Yes this recipe is totally vegan, just make sure not to use butter for the fat and that your stock cube doesn’t contain any animal products.