Curried Parsnip Soup

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter
1 red onion, chopped
3 parsnips, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
1 tbsp plain flour
850ml (3 3/4 cups) vegetable stock
juice of 1 lemon
finely-grated zest of 1 lemon
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
finely-shredded zest of 1 lemon, to garnish

Method:

Heat the oil and butter together in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion, parsnips and garlic and fry for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened.

Scatter over the garam masala and the chilli powder and stir to combine. Fry for 30 seconds more then scatter over the flour. Stir to form a smooth roux and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

Now stir in the stock until smooth then add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove some of the vegetable pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Turn the remaining soup into a blender or food processor (you may need to do this in batches) and process until smooth.

Pour the puréed soup into a clean saucepan and then stir in the reserved vegetables. Allow the soup to heat through then adjust the seasonings to taste. Divide between warmed soup bowls, garnish with the shredded lemon zest and serve.