Hazelnut Soup with Parsnips

A large white bowl of creamy, pale hazelnut soup topped with chopped hazelnuts, on a wooden table with pink flowers.

easyhealthyrecipes.com/hazelnut-soup/

A soup fit for a princess! Hazelnut soup is creamy and luxurious, full of warmth and rich flavor.

Prep: 15

Cook: 45

Total: 1

Recipe makes approximately 4 servings

Equipment Needed

large dutch oven (with lid)
large wooden spoon (or silicone spatula)
Fork (optional)
immersion blender (or standard blender)

Ingredients Needed

For the Hazelnut Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups sliced leeks (approximately 3 leeks, sliced up to light green portions; or 2 cups sliced green onions)
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic (approximately 3 large cloves)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts (roasted or not)
2 teaspoons salt (more or less to taste)
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (plus more to taste)
½ cup sherry (or additional broth)
2 cups roughly chopped parsnips (peeled first, approximately 3 parsnips)
1 cup chopped red potatoes (approximately 1 6-ounce red potato)
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 cup half-and-half (at room temperature)
2 tablespoons sherry

Serving Suggestions (All Optional)

chopped fresh thyme
chopped hazelnuts

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Place large dutch oven on stovetop over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and heat until butter is completely melted.
When butter is melted, add 2 cups sliced leeks and stir to incorporate. Sauté leeks in melted butter, stirring occasionally, until translucent, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
Add 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, 1 cup roughly chopped hazelnuts, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper to dutch oven. Stir to incorporate, then sauté ingredients 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add ½ cup sherry to dutch oven. Stir to incorporate and deglaze pot, scraping up any bits of browned ingredients that may have stuck to bottom of pot.
Increase heat under dutch oven to high and bring sherry to boil. Let boil 30 seconds or until liquid is reduced by 50%.
Add 2 cups roughly chopped parsnips, 1 cup chopped red potatoes, and 4 cups chicken broth to dutch oven. Stir until all ingredients are well-incorporated.
Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat under dutch oven to low. Cover dutch oven with lid and simmer mixture 20 minutes or until potatoes and parsnips can be easily pierced with tines of fork.
Once potatoes and parsnips are fork tender, remove dutch oven from heat and set aside to cool approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
When soup has cooled slightly, insert immersion blender into dutch oven. Blend soup to desired consistency. See Notes below if using standard blender.
Once desired consistency has been achieved, add 1 cup half-and-half (at room temperature) and 2 tablespoons sherry. Stir until cream is fully incorporated, then return dutch oven to low heat.
Taste soup and add salt and/or pepper if desired. Stir soup regularly until hot, then portion soup into serving bowls.
Garnish bowls of soup with additional chopped fresh thyme and chopped hazelnuts if desired. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

Make it Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Tips for Blending Hot Liquids in Standard Blender

USE CAUTION! Blending hot liquids in a standard blender can be very dangerous.
Fill the blender no more than halfway. You may need to blend the soup in multiple batches depending on the size of your blender.
Let the soup mixture cool a bit before blending it.
Always blend hot liquids with the center cap of the blender lid removed. Hold a dish towel over the hole in the lid to keep the lid on and the soup from splashing out.

Nutrition Info (Approximate)