White Root Vegetable Soup with Walnuts and Goats Cheese

, from Issue #54. September, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
White Root Vegetable Soup with Walnuts and Goats Cheese

This medley of root vegetables cooks to a rich and delicious sweetness that is topped with tangy goat’s cheese and crunchy roasted walnuts.

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
small knob of butter
1 onion
1 small celeriac, peeled
2 medium parsnips, peeled
200 grams potatoes, peeled
1 apple, peeled and cored
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
¼ cup cream
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To serve
½ cup walnuts, roasted and roughly chopped
100 grams soft goat’s cheese, crumbled
extra fresh thyme leaves, optional

METHOD

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan. Thinly slice all the vegetables and the apple and add to the pan with a good pinch of salt. Cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if necessary. The vegetables need to be well cooked and meltingly tender at this stage for the soup to have a good flavour.

Add the stock and thyme and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 20 minutes.

Cool a little then blend until smooth using an immersion blender or a food processor. Tip back into the saucepan and reheat to serve. Stir in the cream just before serving.

To serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the walnuts, goat’s cheese, a grind of black pepper and a few thyme leaves.