Roasted Parsnip and Garlic Soup with Bacon Walnuts and Thyme...

These last few nights the weather has been more reminiscent of winter, not spring with bucketing rain, gale force winds, thunder and lightening hitting the East Coast of Aus. And down here in the Illawarra and Soutch Coast we seemed to have caught the brunt of the storms...

So what better way to make me feel good then to rug up with a warm bowl of soup!!

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

   2 garlic heads

   1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

   1 onion, finely chopped

   1.5 litres (6 cups) salt reduced chicken flavoured vegetable stock
                 (or just reduced salt veggie stock)

   1.2 kg parsnips (about 6), cores removed, roughly chopped

   1 heaped tbsp honey, (optional)

   1-2 sprigs of thyme, trimmed and ‘de-twigged’

   sea salt, and pepper

For the garnish:

   1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

   3 rashers bacon, trimmed and chopped into small bits

   Large handful of thyme, trimmed and ‘de-twigged’

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 C. Line a roasting tray and add the parsnips, 1/2 the amount of thyme, honey and 2 tbsp olive oil. Mix together to ensure the parsnips are coated. Roast for 45 minutes, meanwhile place garlic on a large sheet of foil, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and wrap to enclose. Place in the roasting tray and roast until very tender at the 15 minute mark (cook for 30-35 minutes). Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic from skin (discard skin) and set aside.
2. Heat remaining olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and stir occasionally until tender (6-8 minutes). Add stock and parsnip, bring to the boil, cover and simmer until parsnip is very tender (45 minutes-1 hour). Add garlic and purée with a hand-held blender until smooth (add a little water if necessary to reach required consistency). Season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and thyme, set aside, keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, toast the walnut pieces over a medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Remove to a bowl. Then add the extra chopped bacon and cook over a high heat, stirring often, until browned and crisp. Remove to paper towel to drain. Mix the walnuts, bacon and thyme together in a bowl and set aside.

Serve soup hot, and top each serving with a little of the walnut-bacon-thyme mixture to garnish.