“I like food, I like stripping vegetables of their skins, I like to have a slim young parsnip under my knife.”
— Stevie Smith
Summer has been gone for some time. We saw its last wave goodbye in the golden leaves that danced their way down into the streets. What’s left are cold evenings that beg for a comforting warm bowl of soup, and if you’re adventurous, maybe an uncommon one with the uncommon friendship of pears and parsnips.
Known mostly as an albino carrot and the darlin’ of the neighborhood store’s produce section (sarcasm intended), parsnip makes a shy appearance on most people’s tables around the holidays and remains jilted for the rest of the season while its rival, the sweeter and more colorful carrot, gets all the love and attention. What a shame because as a root vegetable parsnip has its…well…roots in the Euroasian ancient times. According to Christine Venema from Michigan State University, “during Roman times Emperor Tiberius accepted parsnips as part of the tribute from the people of what is now Germany. The French and British colonists introduced parsnips to the North American continent. Before the cultivation of sugar beets and cane sugar, the parsnip was used as a sweetener.”
So, if you’re still keen on eating like a king, try this comforting soup where the mildly sweet and spicy parsnip pairs with pears, the sweet, buttery, and actual darlin’ of the cold season.
You are more than welcome to add fresh ginger or a medley of other dried spices, but we found adding the expensive tree sap called maple syrup worked the best.
Once you’re done dribbling the maple syrup in the pot and licking your finger add the cooked chicken to round up this thick and hearty soup. Top with asiago cheese and serve.
