Ingredients
- 500 g parsnip, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1 white onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- 600 ml milk
- 75 g California walnuts, ground in the food processor
For the smoky walnuts
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 50 g California walnuts
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives and a drizzle of walnut oil to garnish
Preparations
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the parsnips onto a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle over the thyme, season and toss everything together. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the smoky California walnuts. Whisk together the maple syrup, paprika and soy sauce and drizzle over the 50 g of California walnuts, tossing to coat. Place onto a small baking tray and roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Leave to cool before chopping roughly.
- Next, place the onion and butter into a large saucepan over a medium heat and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the pear and continue cooking for a further 8-10 minutes.
- Add the parsnip and vegetable stock to the saucepan and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes with the lid on. Add the milk and blitz until smooth and silky. Stir in the ground California walnuts and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, then sprinkle with the smoky California walnuts and chopped chives, adding a final drizzle of walnut oil to serve.