| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into half-moons
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2), peeled and chopped
- 1 pound parsnips (2 to 3), peeled and chopped
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
- 3 slices bacon, finely chopped
- 4 ounces crusty bread, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
- 3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- Creme fraiche, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 5 tablespoons olive oil, the onion, leeks, 2 teaspoons thyme, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, parsnips, chicken broth, 3 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and the cayenne. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes and parsnips are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon and drippings to a large bowl.
- Add the bread, cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the bacon and drippings. Season with salt and pepper and toss, then spread out on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, tossing once or twice, until toasted and the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or puree in batches in a regular blender). Season with salt and more cayenne to taste. Thin with water as needed. Divide the soup among bowls. Top with a swirl of creme fraiche, the croutons and the remaining 2 teaspoons thyme.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 660 |
| Total Fat | 39 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 10 grams |
| Cholesterol | 36 milligrams |
| Sodium | 1128 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 61 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 grams |
| Protein | 20 grams |
| Sugar | 15 grams |
Reviews
I don’t understand the poor ratings! This was an easy and flavourful soup. We used vegetable stock and skipped the creme fraiche but added a bit of apple cider when reheating to serve. Delicious! 5 stars from our guests as well.
I do agree that the parsnip flavor was prevalent, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, right? The croutons were ridiculously good. I could eat those on pretty much anything. Our supermarket was out of creme fraiche, and my sour cream was expired. I ended up using a dollop of mascarpone instead, and that added a nice richness with an extra hint of sweetness.
Bland, tasted like parsnip soup like the others said. Definitely not worth all the effort it took to make like the others said
Not making again
I agree with others about the parsnip overpowering the sweet potato. Perhaps I used too much. The croutons were delicious.
One of our favorites. I don’t need the creme fraiche to finish, but I did everything else in the recipe. Love the croutons.
This was amazing! I’ve never used a parsnip before and found them delightful. The croutons were absolute ✨magic✨ – I could eat a giant bowl of those alone. I’ll definitely make this again! Only sub I made was green onions for leeks (because we searched high and low and everyone was out)
I disagree with the other review that said the parsnips overpowered the sweet potatoes, maybe the ratio was off. Ours was phenomenal and I can’t wait to make it again. Also I’m adding these croutons to every soup recipe from now on! Thanks!
The parsnip overpowered the sweet potato. It tasted like parsnip soup. I wouldn’t try it again but I’d recommend maybe trying a pound and a half of sweet potato or more. Sadly it wasn’t worth all the effort though the croutons were delicious.
Be careful the size of leeks you get. We don’t use them that often and doing grocery pickup we were given 2 VERY large leeks, like each weighed around 14 oz. we followed the recipe to a T and it was terrible. The leeks were way too much considering there is no weight given unlike the potatoes or parsnips. I had to triple the amount of potatoes to make it palatable. Also, the croutons are such a waste. Buy croutons and add the cheese and bacon to the soup. Definitely NOT making this again. Very disappointed because it looked really good in the photos.
Simple and tasty. Made as listed.