I like parsnip soup, hubby doesn't like parsnip soup. It isn't a problem though because I freeze the surplus away either in soup bags or in muffin trays for a lunchtime standby.
It seemed a good idea at the time to try using my steam oven to make the soup - it turned out to be a waste of time. The whole point of kitchen gadgets is to get the best from them and not to try using them if it is going to take you longer than it would without them.
I spent a rainy Saturday afternoon, grating parsnips and onions in the food processor and adding them to the oven tray.....
I added some of the stock, all of the spices and cooked the parsnips and onions........
The parsnip cooked but would that onion cook - no! It took ages to get the onion to cook. It wasn't the easiest of things to get onion, parsnip and chicken stock from a flat tray to a liquidiser to puree.
I'm not implying in any way that my steam oven is disappointing but it's more sensible to use gadgets for stuff they are good at. In this case using a saucepan on the hob would have been the better option. Fortunately after all this I was rewarded with a glorious bowl of soup.
Here is the recipe and method using a hob.
40g butter
1 onion
700g parsnips
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1.2 litres chicken stock
freshly ground salt and pepper
150ml semi-skimmed milk
paprika
Serves: 6
1. Peel and chop the onion and parsnips. Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and sweat gently for 5 minutes taking care not to colour the onions. Add the parsnips to the pan and fry for a few minutes.
2. Dry fry the cumin seeds gently in a pan until they release their aroma. Grind in a pestle and mortar. Add the cumin and curry powder to the pan and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock and seasoning to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Cool, transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
5. Add the puree to the pan, add the milk and reheat gently.
6. Serve into bowls and sprinkle with paprika.
A few more things I experimented with using the steam function which should be useful if you are upgrading your kitchen and thinking about purchasing a steam combination oven.
Steamed puddings are a huge success.......
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| Lemon and Blueberry Steamed Pudding and Christmas Pudding |
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| Sliced potatoes and frozen peas cook really well |
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| Prepared veg ready for steaming |
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| Steamed new potatoes and chantenay carrots |
The reheat function will magically refresh bread......
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| My panettone looks like it has just been freshly baked - the reheat function is really useful |
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| Purple sprouting broccoli doesn't steam successfully, however, tenderstem broccoli steams perfectly |