CREAMY PARSNIP PEAR SOUP

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme

1 1/4 pounds parsnips, peeled and diced

2 pears, peeled and diced

3 cups vegetable broth 1/2 cup milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Fresh chopped parsley (optional)

1 cup balsamic vinegar or 2 tablespoons storebought balsamic glaze or saba balsamic vinegar (optional)

3 slices bacon, cut into

2-inch pieces (optional) 1/2 cup sliced or roughly chopped mushrooms (optional)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

4 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook the onion 7 minutes, then add the garlic, thyme, parsnips and pears. Cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, and being careful not to let the garlic brown. Add the vegetable broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer until the parsnips are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the milk. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Puree the soup using an immersion blender (or let cool slightly and blend in batches in a blender), until smooth. Divide equally among 4 bowls and serve with warm, crusty bread.

Garnish option 1: Drizzle balsamic glaze over each portion of soup and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. To make a balsamic glaze, add 1 cup balsamic vinegar to a small pot. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer 10-15 minutes, until it has reduced by half. The glaze will thicken as it cools.

Garnish option 2: Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. When the bacon is half-cooked, add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have browned, stir in the toasted walnuts and a few tablespoons of fresh parsley. Top each portion of soup with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and an equal portion of the bacon-mushroom-walnut mixture.

Serves 4.

Per serving, with balsamic glaze: 222 calories (percent of calories from fat, 20), 4 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 425 milligrams sodium.

Per serving, with bacon mushroom: 321 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 8 grams protein, 43 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams fiber, 15 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 13 milligrams cholesterol, 527 milligrams sodium.

Adapted from “Awesome Vegan Soups” by Vanessa Croessmann (Page Street Publishing Co., 2019).

CONTRIBUTED BY VANESSA CROESSMANN Here, Creamy Parsnip Pear Soup is finished with a swirl of a balsamic reduction and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. Reprinted with permission from “Awesome Vegan Soups” by Vanessa Croessmann, Page Street Publishing Co., 2019.