Ugly Parsnips Make Tasty Soup

An octopus-like parsnip has been officially crowned Britain’s Ugliest Vegetable. Raised in Bedfordshire, the parsnip resembles an alien life form, complete with tentacle-like tendrils, but competition organisers say that it tastes better than it looks. The National Trust, which organised the competition, hopes to get the message across to the public that vegetables don’t need to look perfect to taste good.

The organisation’s food choices officer, Liz Woodward, said, “This competition was designed to show that we shouldn’t judge a vegetable on its looks and we should challenge the image of the cosmetically perfect and well formed vegetables found in many of our supermarkets.” Perfectly groomed vegetables often come at the cost of taste and nutrition. This is why organic vegetables taste so much better and pack a higher nutritional punch. The message is: the uglier the better, as they are less likely to have come from genetically-modified stock.

For more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Here are two soup recipes that will disguise any ugliness while making the most of the taste and nutrition.

Honey roasted parsnip soup

This creamy soup is richly flavoured by roasted parsnips, sweetened with honey and serves four people.

Ingredients

• 25g unsalted butter;
  
• 500g organic parsnips, roughly chopped; half an onion, roughly chopped;
  
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped;
  
• 1 small clove of garlic, roughly chopped;
  
• 1 tsp thyme leaves;
  
• 1 small bay leaf;
  
• 1 tbsp clear honey;
  
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock;
  
• 6 tbsp dry cider;
  
• 4 tbsp double cream.

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Heat the butter in an ovenproof casserole dish, add the parsnips and roast in the oven for about 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Add the carrot, onion and garlic and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Add the herbs and honey while stirring. Cook for another 10 minutes until the vegetables have caramelised.

Remove the dish from the oven, add the stock and bring to the boil on the hob. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cider then pour the soup into a blender and purée until smooth. Stir in the double cream and then serve with warm crusty bread.

Spicy parsnip soup

This is a cheap and healthy soup, which is filling and flavoursome. Serves four people.

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped;
  
• 500g organic parsnips, peeled and sliced;
  
• 700ml stock (chicken or vegetable); 2 onions, finely chopped;
  
• half tsp ground coriander;
  
• half tsp ground cumin;
  
• half tsp turmeric.

Method

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly before then liquidising.

Serve with warm crusty bread.