Description
This Country Harvest Root Vegetable Soup is a comforting and creamy blend of fresh root vegetables infused with curry powder and thyme. Perfectly sautéed and simmered before being blended into a smooth, velvety soup, it’s garnished with cream, fresh parsley, and warm crusty bread for a hearty, flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
- 1 onion, chopped into large dice
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
Vegetables & Liquid
- 1 1/2 litre (6 cups) water
- 2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (halve if using table salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 large potato (~300g/10oz), peeled and cut into 2.5cm (1″) cubes
- 1 medium sweet potato (350g/12oz), peeled and cut into 2.5cm (1″) cubes
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1.5cm (0.5″) pieces
- 1 small/medium parsnip (150g/5oz), peeled and cut into 1.5cm (0.5″) pieces
- 1 small celeriac (600g/1.2 lb), peeled and cut into 1.5cm (0.5″) pieces (~2 heaped cups)
Dairy & Garnish
- 1/2 cup thickened cream (heavy cream or regular), plus extra for garnish
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Pinch of extra curry powder
- Pinch of black pepper
- Warm crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Sauté: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes until the onion softens and becomes fragrant.
- Add vegetables and spices: Stir in the diced root vegetables, dried thyme, and curry powder. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the edges of the vegetables begin to soften and the spices release their aroma.
- Simmer: Increase the heat to high and pour in the water along with salt and black pepper. Stir everything together and wait for the liquid to come to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-high and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife.
- Add cream: Stir in the thickened cream and allow the soup to simmer gently for another minute to blend the flavors.
- Blend the soup: Remove the pot from heat. Use a stick blender to carefully blitz the soup until it is completely smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding water if too thick, and season with extra salt, pepper, or cream according to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the smooth soup into bowls. Drizzle with additional cream, sprinkle a pinch of curry powder, freshly ground black pepper, and chopped parsley on top. Serve immediately with warm crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- Use good quality curry powder like Clive’s for the best flavor. Any mild curry powder will work well.
- Dried thyme adds a subtle earthy flavor complementing the root vegetables.
- Heavy cream enriches the soup, but regular thickened cream works fine too. Garnish with extra cream for decadence.
- Use a stick blender in the pot for convenience and safety when pureeing hot soup.
- The soup can be thinned with additional water or cream to your desired consistency.
