Everyone I know and probably everyone you know is on some kind of diet - or should be (!) - and the latest diet craze is one called HCG. If you haven't heard about it then Google it. My family members are even on this diet - some taking the drops under their tongue 3 times a day and others taking injections...and they are only allowed to eat 500 calories a day! 500! That's like one snack! Anyone can lose weight on 500 calories a day - including me I suppose - but where's the fun in that?! How long can one starve themselves before one turns into a shrew and bites off the heads of everyone they meet in an attempt to simulate the actual biting of food? I do and will continue to support my friends/family who are on this diet - I'll not tempt them with the likes of this soup, so devilish in it's deliciousness...no, I'll offer them tall glasses of ice cold water, complete with ice chips and I'll serve them A raisin or a piece of celery and an apple peel should they require sustenance...I'm here for them - I really am and I admire their will power and their perseverance...in my next life I plan to have will power...but for now, I am here to tell you that I refuse to let a lack of calories ruin my day...oh sure, I try to cut back...I'll go for HOURS (3 or 4) without actually eating something...isn't that sacrifice enough? But there is no way I could ever live on 500 calories a day...because then I'd have to give up real food like this soup...which is really lovely...and delicious...and full of good things that taste good...I like to call this my HCG Soup...as in Hot Combination of Goodness!
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Made with parsnips, this soup is mild, savory and salty - a trifecta in a bowl! Parsnips are my new favorite food. As a kid I never ate them...but they have slowly worked their way into my diet...which is an oxymoron when I consider my favorite way of eating them - sliced and fried in butter...hardly on anyone's diet but dang good!
And this soup is dang good...4 dangs worth...I'm going to serve it for Thanksgiving - in shot glasses - just to jump-start everyone's taste buds!
Parsnip and Parmesan Soup - Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 lbs. parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (to yield about 4 cups)
6 oz. shallots, cut into 1/4-inch dice (to yield about 1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano; plus tiny sprigs for garnish
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-heat. While the butter is still foaming, add the parsnips and cook until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes (resist the urge to stir too often or they won't brown). Stir in the shallots, garlic, chopped oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook until the shallots are very limp and the entire mixture is beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook until the parsnips are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Puree the soup using a stand or immersion blender (you'll need to work in batches if using a stand blender). Return the soup to the pot and stir in the Parmigiano, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Reheat the soup and garnish each serving with an oregano sprig if you like. Serves 5 to 6. (I thought this soup was a meal all by itself but the mister cannot live by soup alone!)
"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." ~ Maria Robinson
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One year ago: Chocolate Cola Cake With Toasted Pecan Frosting
Two years ago: Pumpkin Mousse in Cinnamon Pastry Shells
