Name: Parsnip soup with hazelnut and thyme butter
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 100 gm cold butter, coarsely chopped; 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced; 6 thyme sprigs, plus 1 tbsp thyme leaves; 2 star anise; ½ cinnamon quill; 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock; 800 gm parnsips (about 4 large), cut into 1cm pieces; 50 gm roasted hazelnuts; 300 ml pouring cream; Toasted and buttered sourdough, to serve

This creamy soup is subtly flavoured with warming spices and given texture with a nutty brown-butter topping. It’s worth making a double batch and freezing extra for quick lunches.

Ingredients

100 gm cold butter, coarsely chopped

1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced

6 thyme sprigs, plus 1 tbsp thyme leaves

2 star anise

½ cinnamon quill

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock

800 gm parnsips (about 4 large), cut into 1cm pieces

50 gm roasted hazelnuts

300 ml pouring cream

Toasted and buttered sourdough, to serve

Method

1.Heat half the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, thyme sprigs, star anise and cinnamon, and cook, stirring often, until leek is softened (6-7 minutes). Add two-thirds of the garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant (1 minute). Add stock and parsnip, season to taste and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until parsnip is very tender (15-18 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, cook remaining butter in a small saucepan until foaming and nut brown (3-4 minutes), then stir in thyme leaves and remaining garlic. Transfer to a food processor with hazelnuts and process until nuts are coarsely chopped. Season to taste.

3.Stir cream into soup, discard thyme sprigs and spices, then blend soup with a hand-held blender until very smooth. Top with hazelnut butter and serve with toasted sourdough.

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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Styling by Kirsten Bookallil

Ingredients

Method

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