carrot parsnip soup with soy glazed shiitake mushrooms

spring has officially sprung - although it is still below 40 degrees here in nyc with snow forecast for tomorrow. a bright and vivid carrot parsnip soup is a warm yet colorful meal while we transition from winter to spring.

start off by peeling the carrots and parnsips.

cut them into roughly equal sized pieces - about 1/2 inch rounds.

i bought my shiitake mushrooms at the market. wash them by rinsing gently then patting dry or wiping with a damp paper towel. 

drizzle a tbsp of olive oil over the carrots/parsnips, mix to cover and lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. sprinkle with salt and pepper.

roast in the oven for 25 minutes until the carrots soften and start to brown on the edges.

meanwhile, heat up 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. add to the stock a roughly 1 inch x 1 inch piece of peeled ginger. this will lend a light gingery flavor to the broth.

the stems of shiitake mushrooms are a bit tough and stringy to eat, but are good for flavor. so i tossed these into the broth as well.

  trim mushrooms close to the based of the cap, and wash the stems well. simmer for about 15 minutes.

stems of shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and rinsed well

while the stock simmers, saute the onions and garlic in about 1 tbsp olive oil until soft.

now, time to prep the tops of the mushrooms for the garnish.

slice the mushroom caps into thin strips. coat them with 1/2 tbsp soy sauce. heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet, then cook the mushrooms until they get crispy. part way through cooking, add some sesame oil and honey to form a glaze.

after about 10 minutes, they will be dark and crispy. remove from the skillet and let them rest on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

after your broth has simmered for about 15 minutes, remove the ginger and mushroom stems. add the roasted carrots and the softened onions/garlic.

let the stock mixture cool slightly, then use an immersion or regular blender to puree into a smooth soup. taste and adjust salt/pepper as needed.

top with a few of the  soy-glazed shiitakes for a pretty garnish that also adds texture and flavor to the soup.

soup based on Food52's recipe

roasted carrot and parsnip soup with soy-glazed shiitake mushrooms

makes about 6 cups of soup

ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1.2 inch pieces

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

salt and pepper, to taste

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

stems of 1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms below, cleaned

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

1/4 lb shiitake mushrooms, cleaned with stems trimmed

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp sesame oil

1/8 tsp honey

directions:

1.   preheat oven to 375 degrees F. coat carrot and parsnip pieces in 1 tbsp olive oil and spread across a parchment lined baking sheet. salt and pepper to taste. roast for 25-30 minutes, until soft.

2.   heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. add onions and saute for 1-2 minutes until soft. add garlic and cook until both garlic and onions are soft. set aside.

3.   heat the 6 cups of stock in a large saucepan or stockpot. add ginger and the clean stems of the shiitake mushrooms. simmer for about 15 minutes until the stock has a hint of ginger flavor.

4.   after 15 minutes, remove the ginger and mushroom stems. add in the roasted carrots, onions and garlic. bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until the carrots become soft.

5.   use an immersion blender for about 3 minutes until the soup becomes a smooth puree.

for the mushrooms:

6.   slice the caps of the shiitake mushrooms thinly, and toss with 1/2 tbsp soy sauce. mix together 1/8 tsp sesame oil and 1/8 tsp honey.

7.   heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 5-7 minutes until they release their juices and then start to brown.

8.   drizzle honey-sesame oil mixture over the shiitake mushrooms and cook them for an additional 3-5 minutes until they are dark brown.

7.   remove from skillet and let them drain on a paper towel. they will crisp up as they cool.

8.   serve soup hot, with soy glazed shiitakes on top for garnish and flavor.

tips:

- you can use any combination of carrots and parsnips. just stick to 2 lbs total.

- to clean the shiitake mushrooms, wipe with a wet paper towel or rinse the caps gently and pat dry right away. they will absorb water if left to soak.

- store the mushrooms separately wrapped in plastic wrap or a small tupperware. garnish soup after reheating.

roasted root vegetable mash

in the winter season, it is sometimes too cold/wet/rainy for me to want to go to the outdoor market. when i do, i am rewarded by the abundance of apples, pears, greens, and root vegetables. recently at a restaurant, i had a mix of vegetables mashed together. I decided to make my own version at home. roasting the vegetables caramelizes them, lending a sweet flavor to the puree. with a nice blend of vegetables, try making roasted root vegetable mash. it is a perfect and simple side dish for these colder months.

start by peeling the vegetables you will be using.

you can pick out any starchy vegetable at your market, but here i used about half of one butternut squash, a small sweet potato, two carrots, and two parsnips.

once they are peeled, chop them up into uniform pieces. if you know one vegetable will take longer to cook, you can chop it up a little smaller so they can all roast on the same pan.

mix the vegetables in a bowl with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.

spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet, and roast at 400 degrees F for 35-45 minutes.

once they start to caramelize and are soft enough to pierce easily with a fork you can take them out.

let them cool slightly, then put into a container that allows you to use an immersion blender easily. add 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth.

blend, blend, blend until the vegetables break up and start to become smooth. add in more broth 1/4 cup at a time until it reaches the consistency you like.

you can plate in a large bowl for family style, or plate individual portions on each plate. 

you can garnish the top with pecans. or chop the pecans and sprinkle them on top of the plated vegetable mash for a crunchy texture.

inspired by a side at Hu Kitchen

roasted root vegetable mash with butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot and parsnip

makes about 2 cups

ingredients:

6 cups of peeled and chopped root vegetables
(i used: half of one butternut squash, 1 small sweet potato, 2 carrots and 2 parsnips)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 - 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup pecans, whole or chopped (optional)


directions:

 1.   preheat oven to 400 degrees F. coat the peeled and chopped root vegetables with the olive oil in a bowl. give a liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper to your tastes, and incorporate that in.

2.   spread the oiled vegetable pieces on a nonstick baking tray, lined with parchment for easy cleanup.

3.   bake for 30-45 minutes until you can smash or pierce easily a piece with a fork. you want the veggies to be fully cooked, but not dried out from overcooking. i took mine out when they were just starting to caramelize.

4.   cool vegetables slightly, then transfer roasted vegetables to a container with tall sides that will allow your immersion blender to fit easily.

5.   add in 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth. slowly start to blend the vegetables and the broth with an immersion blender. if it seems dry, add in additional broth 1/4 cup at a time. (for my vegetables, i ended up using about 3/4 cup of chicken broth)

6.   once you are done blending you can either transfer them to a plate for serving family style, or portion onto individual plates. sprinkle with pecans before serving, if desired.


tips:

- even if you overbake your vegetables, you can easily add more chicken broth to help blend

- if you are using different vegetables that you know may take longer to cook, you can just cut it in smaller pieces compared to other quicker-cooking types. this way you can cook them all for the same amount of time,

- this is a good side dish to a meal with an acidic sauce. i served it with chicken breast with a balsamic vinegar pan sauce.