Crazy About Parsnip Soup!

My mindees love this recipe, today one little one, who is 18 months old, ate three bowls of the stuff, along with two slices of bread..... possible growth spurt coming I think!!  It is such a simple recipe and a lovely 'winter warmer' after a frosty walk home from a morning's activities!  I am making ours with the 'Christmas' parsnips that we planted last summer, but the ground was too frozen to get them out for Christmass so we are enjoying them now!!  Homegrown the taste is something else!!

Ingredients:

• Two carrots
• One stick of celery
• One small leek
• One onion
• Four big parsnips!
• 100g red lentils (optional)

Roughly chop the carrots, celery, leek and onion and put in a pan over a medium heat with some olive oil.  When it starts to sizzle, turn the heat down and sweat the veg with a lid on the pan for 15 mins, stirring every so often.  Whilst this is happening, peel and chop the parsnips, then add to the sweaty veg along with the lentils and stir thorooughly round.  ( I usually add some black pepper here too).  Pour in enough water to cover the veg and have an extra inch.  bring to the boil, reduce to simmer and cook for half an hour with the lid on.  When parsnips are soft, remove from the heat and blend.

I prepare this in advance then reheat thoroughly before serving..... be careful reheating in the pan though as once blended the soup will puff splots of hot soup out of the top as it begins to simmer again!

Serve with yummy brown or granary bread and you have a hot meal with all the essential amino acids in, perfect for growing minds and bodies!!