Recipe: Harissa Carrot Parsnip Soup
A soup full of flavor and a hint of spice. Sounds perfect, right?
The recipe is easy to make and versatile. If you don’t have something on the ingredient list, switch it up and make it your own.
Are you ready to have some fun with the recipe?
Oh, wait, I wanted to give a shoutout to
at the . She shared a lovely Creamy Carrot Soup recipe by Georgia O’Keeffee. Since I had a lot carrots, she inspired me to make some soup.
SOME BOOK INSPIRATION:
“Carrot soup, huh?” Milo from Defend My Heart (Crystal Shores Book Three) stepped up behind Angie and rested his chin on her shoulder. “It smells delicious.”
“Holland, (from Cherish My Heart (Crystal Shores Serial) dropped off a couple of pounds of carrots this morning.” Angie turned her head and kissed his cheek. “Her bunny loves the carrot tops. She said her refrigerator is overflowing with carrots.”
“Is it really possible to have too many carrots?” Milo dipped a teaspoon in the soup and blew on it before tasting it. “This is really good. What’s the spice?”
“I added some Harissa. Was that a bad idea?” She grabbed his teaspoon and dipped the spoon into the pureed contents. “Oh, wow, that’s good.”
“Yeah, that was not a bad idea. I love it.” Milo walked over to the kitchen island and sat down on a barstool. “Is that your first time making carrot soup?”
“Crazy enough, yes, it is.” She took the few steps separating them, snuggled her body between his legs, and laced her fingers behind his neck. “We should make some Harissa Carrot Hummus.” When they first met, they made Spicy Carrot & Edamame Hummus together (recipe available in the back of the book.)
“And switch out the Siracha and pepper flakes in our usual recipe?” He wrapped his fingers around her waist.
“Yeah, I think it could make the recipe even better.”
“Sounds good to me.” He leaned in and kissed her. “Do we have more carrots?”
She moved out of his embrace and ran to the refrigerator to open it. “A half a shelf left.”
“So basically, what you’re saying is, expect more carrot-loving recipes in our future.” He laughed.
“Exactly.”
SOME BEHIND THE SCENES:
Our bunny, Lavender, is a huge fan of carrot tops. Earl Grey is a fan of dandelion greens.
If you caught the funny part of the carrot top sentence, you can see why I decided to make a new recipe using carrots.
We always have a lot of carrots in our refrigerator. Always.
This recipe is not set in stone. If you don’t have an ingredient, don’t panic; mix things up and use what you have.
We’re heading into the cooler months here in North Carolina, so I won’t have fresh herbs in the garden soon. If I didn’t have fresh herbs, I would grab my dry herbs and sprinkle some over the veggies before I roasted them. There’s no specific amount I used for the herbs. At the end of the recipe, when the soup has been cooking for a while, you could add more herbs if you felt it needed more. You decide because there are no rules with the recipe.
Harissa Carrot Parsnip Soup
Recipe by Terra Kelly
Prep: 10-15 minutes
Cook: 30-60 minutes
Makes: 4-6 Servings
Ingredients
8 medium to large carrots, cut into large chunks
2 medium to large parsnips, cut into large chunks
2 medium onions, cut into large chunks
4-5 cloves garlic
Handful of fresh oregano (see notes)
Handful of fresh basil (see notes)
Handful of fresh thyme (see notes)
Salt and pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil (use one Tbsp for soup pot)
5-6 cups stock (see notes)
½ to 1 Tbsp Harissa (see notes)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use a sheet pan and add the carrots, parsnips, onion, garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and mix around the ingredients. Top with the fresh oregano, basil, and thyme.
Cook ingredients in prepared oven for 30-45 minutes, or until they are fork tender.
Use a large soup pot or cast-iron pot, add one tablespoon of olive oil, and set the stovetop to medium-high. (See notes for emulsifying the cooked vegetables.) Remove fresh herbs and add the cooked vegetables to the prepared pan. Add four cups of stock and emulsify the ingredients until pureed.
Let the soup cook for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat.
Add one cup of stock and harissa (start with a smaller amount because it’s spicy). Let it cook for another 15-20 minutes.
At this point, you may need the last cup of stock and more harissa. You decide.
Cook a few more minutes, and then enjoy a delicious bowl!
Notes:
There were still fresh herbs in my garden, so I added some. If you don’t have fresh herbs available, you can use dried herbs. Just sprinkle them over the vegetables and mix them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
It says a handful of herbs; I just threw some all around the vegetables. I would do the same with the dried herbs, too. So, add the amount you want and the herbs you want for the recipe. Just have fun with it.
I had chicken stock available. I wanted to use vegetable stock, but I was all out. Use the stock you have available or one that is your favorite.
We use a handheld emulsifying tool (or handheld food processor). You can use a potato masher, food processor, or a blender. If you put the hot vegetables with the stock in your food processor or blender, keep it covered, and remember to blend at a low speed or pulse slowly to prevent the steam from escaping quickly or exploding on you.
We buy prepared Harissa in jars. A little goes a long way. You can make your own. If you want more than what the recipe calls for, go for it.
Thank you so much for the shout-out, Terra, and the soup looks yummy! 😋
I am going to make this - my family would love it!