Nice soup, shame about the colour!

Ever since the half marathon on Sunday, I have been absolutely starving. I have been snacking on a delicious bowl of walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds and I have been munching my way through the fruit bowl, but for some reason this run has made me more ravenous than the previous 20 miler did. I reckon it is because I did not eat enough high G.I. carbs immediately after the race.

I have just received a great comment on the blog from the food and drink editor of The Londonist - take a look at the blog http://londonist.com/2008/03/health_nut_go_f.php, the "health nut" section is a really interesting read with some great photos.

I made quite a nice soup last night - Roasted Parsnip with Cumin and Chilli - it was very warming and pretty nutritious. A dollop of creme fraiche and some fresh coriander sprinkled on top would be good, as the colour of the soup was not very appetising. This is because I roasted the parsnips first, making them extra tasty and caramelised but the soup is consequently rather brown. Parsnips are of course delicious and contain a good amount of vitamin C, folate and potassium. They also have a very high Glycaemic Index Factor, so the carbohydrate in them will raise blood sugar levels rapidly, making this soup good for a quick energy boost for after a big workout. I served the soup with some cheesy croutons, which I made from some leftover baguette slices.

Roasted Parsnip Soup with Cumin and Chilli

About 500 g parsnips

2 red onions, chopped

2 leeks, chopped

3 sticks of celery, chopped and stringy bits removed

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 1/2 tsp crushed dried chilli

Salt and pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

knob of butter

1 -1 1/2 litre water or mild chicken stock

1. Chop the parsnips roughly, toss them in 2tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with the cumin seeds, chilli, salt and pepper. Roast them on a baking tray in the oven at 190 C for about 45 minutes until nicely caramelised .
2. Saute the onion very gently in 1tbsp olive oil and the butter in a large pan for a few minutes. Add the leeks and celery, cover and continue to cook very gently for about 20 minutes until soft. Check that you do not let it burn by stirring occasionally.
3. Add the stock, parsnips (remember to scrape out all the cumin seeds left on the bottom of the baking tray) and a good sprinkle of salt and simmer for a further 10 minutes or so. Cool and then liquidise. Check the consistency - the soup won't be nice if it is too thick, so add some more stock is you need to thin it out a little. Check for seasoning and serve warm with croutons.
4. Croutons - using the same baking try for the leftover cuminy(?) flavour, brush the slices of bread with some olive oil and cook in the oven for about 5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Add some cheese halfway through the cooking if you like.