Silky Parsnip-Potato Soup with Bacon

Although I'm a year-round soup kinda girl, I'm especially happy to enjoy a bowl of warm comfort during the seasons when my fingers and toes never seem to lose their chill entirely. In other words, right now. After a month-long flurry of planning, prepping, and eventually enjoying my favorite meal of the year, all I really want to do is make a big pot of soup and relax with a good book (or movie or tv series).

Today I want to share not only a perfect bowl of soup, but also the perfect pot in which to make it. I've mentioned the fact that, as a whole, All-Clad makes my favorite pots and pans. If my kitchen could be stocked with them, life would be so much easier. I'm working towards that goal. While I did receive the soup pot that I'm sharing with you today at no cost, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

One problem I have (if you could call it a problem) is making too much soup. I tend to go overboard and make huge batches at a time. I blame that on using the wrong pot. In the past, I've always used a stockpot or Dutch oven, and the ones that I own tend to hold a lot...and I seem to think that the contents need to fill them. So I wind up with soup coming out my ears. That's all fine and dandy when I'm cooking for a crowd, but more often than not, I'm just cooking for my family of five.

This All-Clad 4-Quart Soup Pot is the PERFECT size for making a pot of soup for feeding my family, with a bowl or two left over for me to enjoy the next day for lunch. But it's not just about the size, like all All-Clad products, it's about the superior cooking ability. Plus, it's pretty darn beautiful. I don't know if it's my restaurant background or what, but there's nothing quite as satisfying as transferring a shiny stainless steel All-Clad pot or pan from shelf to stove.

I christened my new soup pot with one of my favorite underrated veggies - the parsnip. Parsnips have an earthy sweetness similar to carrots, but I prefer cooked parsnips to cooked carrots. Like pretty much any vegetable, they're amazing roasted, but to keep their pure color, this soup recipe calls for sweating (and then simmering) them along with onions and potatoes.

I'm not the hugest fan of pureed soups, but every once in a while I come across one that I adore. This one is topping my list right now. It's silky smooth texture and rich flavor is accented by meaty bits of salty bacon in every spoonful. Seriously, don't skimp on the bacon. This was one that the whole family enjoyed. And I will enjoy polishing off the bowl leftover for lunch today. You know, because my new favorite pot made the perfect amount.

Silky Parsnip-Potato Soup

This rich and silky soup made from sweet parsnips and potatoes and accented by salty bites of bacon is the perfect bowl of winter comfort food.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Keywords: soup/stew nut-free soy-free sugar-free cream bacon potatoes parsnips Thanksgiving

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup dry Sherry
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt
• ground white pepper
• 1 pound thick-cut bacon

Instructions

Melt the butter in a 4-quart soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has softened but not browned. This should take about 8 minutes. Add the parsnips and potatoes to the pot and cook for two minutes, stirring to coat evenly with the butter.

Raise the heat to medium-high and carefully add the Sherry. Let cook until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and herbs (tied together in cheesecloth, if you like) and bring to a boil. Cover partially, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

While the soup is cooking, slice the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and cook until crisp. Scoop the bacon out of the grease and set on a paper towel-lined plate until needed.

Carefully lift out the herbs and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and silky. Set it back over very low heat and stir in the cream. Let the soup heat up without bringing it back to a boil. When it starts to steam, remove from heat. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the reserved bacon.

-adapted from The New Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan

Featured in this post

All-Clad d5 Stainless-Steel 4-Qt Soup Pot ($255), sold exclusively at Williams-Sonoma: All-Clad’s d5 Stainless Steel line incorporates five-layer bonded construction as well as functional advances. Each layer serves a specific purpose - 18/10 stainless-steel interior for easy cleaning, two aluminum layers (one to conduct heat, one to sustain it), patented stainless-steel core that diffuses heat for consistent results, and a magnetic stainless-steel exterior for durability and dishwasher-safe ease.

While well suited for pasta sauces, cooking grains, and boiling potatoes, this pot is specially designed for soup, its tall 5" sides helping to minimize evaporation and maximize flavor. Its rims are shaped to allow for dripless pouring and it has extra-large loop handles for easy gripping.

I received a complimentary pot for the purpose of review. I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.