Roasted Parsnip Pear Soup

Sweet root veggies parsnips pair perfectly with pears in the soup. While they look like carrots, and are indeed related to carrots, parsnips are sweeter, starchier, and of course, whiter, than carrots. Serve this soup as a first course, side dish or make it a main meal by adding some white beans or quinoa.

Ingredients

2 lbs parsnips, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 pears, peeled
1 yellow onion, peeled
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups Silk Almondmilk, unsweetened

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425F.
After chopping parsnips and pears place in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place coated vegetables on a baking pan and roast until very soft and browned, approximately 30 to 45 minutes, stirring and checking every 10 minutes.
In a large stock pot add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, onion and celery and sauté until tender. Add in roasted parsnips and pears and 2 cups of vegetable broth.
Using a handheld immersion blender, puree until smooth. Alternatively, puree parsnips with 1 to 2 cups of broth in a blender and then add into stock pan.
Once pureed, add remaining broth and almond milk. You can add more or less liquid to reach desired consistency.
Let simmer and serve once heated through, adding salt and pepper to taste.