Creamy Carrot and Parsnip Soup

I have stopped buying cookbooks.  I certainly have enough and as much as I enjoy reading them, there is a limit to how many I can cook from.  Temptation always rears its head when I see a new cookbook but I proudly say, I have been behaving and have not purchased a new cookbook recently and I plan to keep it this way except for..........................................

A new cookbook recently came out and I wanted it.  Each time, I came across it online, I almost bought it but thankfully, I caught myself and stopped myself.  The book is called Cooking Inspired by Estee Kafra and I worked it out, in my mind, that it was not meant to be mine.

At my school, we get Chanukah presents from the parents.  Usually the class chips in and gives us money.  This year, besides those nice green bills, a few parents gave me individual gifts, one nicer than the next.  The best one turned out to be.......you guessed it......... Cooking Inspired.  That is an expensive gift and I would not have expected a parent to be that generous but I am thrilled, she was.  The child told me that the one item, his Mom collects, is cookbooks - a woman after my own heart.

Now, I am the proud owner of Cooking Inspired and I am a "happy camper."

First, I made a meatloaf because the recipe intrigued me.  In with the chopped beef was minced pastrami and the sauce rather than being tomato sauce was Duck Sauce.  I have never had such a meatloaf.  Actually, I tolerate meatloaf but hubby loves it.  Now, I love it too and this is definitely the go-to meatloaf for us.  I will share the recipe in another post.

Tonight, we had leftovers and I wanted to add a quick "something" to go with them.  I decided on soup and looked through my new gem and landed on soups.  Too many tempted me, Pumpkin Soup with Parsley Sunflower Pesto, Wholesome Chunky Vegetable Soup, Curried Cauliflower and Apricot Soup, Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup, and finally the soup, I made below.

I knew the sweetness of the parsnips and carrots would make this soup a winner and yes, we did love it.  It is thick and creamy and warming.  

You will find Estee on Kosher Scoop where you will also find some of her recipes.

Creamy Carrot and Parsnip Soup - adapted from Cooking Inspired by Estee Kafra

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil -
2 tsp chopped garlic - Hubby gets sick from garlic.
2 large leeks, finely sliced -
4 large carrots, diced (about 1 1/2–2 cups) -
2 large parsnips, diced (about 1 1/2 cups) -
5 cups vegetable stock -
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger -
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste -
1 14-oz can (400 g) coconut milk -
2 cloves garlic, halved -
generous sprig of fresh thyme -
toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish -

Method:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the chopped leeks until soft. Add the carrots and parsnips, and sauté until they begin softening, about 7–10 minutes. Add the stock, ginger, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower flame and let cook until a fork inserted into a carrot can easily break it apart. Puree with an immersion blender to combine.

2. Pour the coconut milk into the pureed soup and blend once again until smooth.

This is an easy soup to make.  The time it took was due to the chopping of the vegetables which in the future, I plan to do, in the morning and put aside until I return from school.