Cuisine – Velvety smooth soups

Root vegetables are the bargain of the winter vegetable season, and the cold weather is when they’re at peak flavour. Potatoes and kumara are the usual favourites, but on a recent trip to Southland, I was introduced to the marvel of the swede. Talking with a local arable farmer, I had my misconceptions around this hearty vegetable dispelled. As kids, they grew up snacking and chewing on freshly unearthed raw swedes right there in the paddocks. So sweet, this farmer told me!

(Arable farming is a whole other story. In a nutshell, as New Zealand farmers, we are well regarded around the world for our mastery of pastoral farming, raising high quality beef and lamb on the verdant pastures of grass, clover, plantain, chicory and herbal, so we can claim all our animals are grass-fed.

Alongside that there are farmers who devote their land to raising edible crops and these are our arable farms, growing grains for harvest, as well as swedes, carrots, parsnips and so much more.)

My favourite way with any root vegetable is to roast it, as the cooking process allows the natural sugars in the vegetables to develop and become much richer than if steamed or boiled. Dinner guests always request roast potatoes. The secret of the best roast spuds is to choose Agria as they have loads of flavour and are guaranteed to be fluffy on the inside while gaining a crisp exterior. For a perfect roast potato, peel your Agrias and cut into halves or quarters. Bring to the boil in salted water and cook until almost tender – over-boiled potatoes will become mushy. Have the oven ready at 190C and heat a little olive oil in the roasting pan before adding the par-boiled spuds with a couple of tablespoons of butter.

Bake for at least an hour, tossing them occasionally so they’re evenly golden and crisp. Those swedes from Southland would be good, too!

Roasting root vegetables for a velvety soup will ensure maximum flavour. In this week’s recipe, I combine two of my favourites, carrots and parsnips, and then give the soup a little Pacific touch with the addition of coconut cream and a touch of lime. Use this recipe as a base and feel free to experiment by substituting other root veggies. There’s nothing quite as comforting as a delicate but flavoursome velvety soup.

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Carrot, parsnip and coconut soup with ginger, lime and coriander

6 large carrots
2 large parsnips
4 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 onion
6cm piece of ginger
1 litre of chicken stock
Small tin coconut cream (165mls)
2 limes
Salt and pepper to taste
Small pinch of sugar
Small bunch of coriander (or fresh parsley)

Set the oven to 190C. Peel and chop the carrots and parsnips and add to a roasting dish, tossing the vegetables in two tablespoons of the oil. Place in the oven and roast for 35 minutes until the edges are just starting to caramelise, and are softened and fragrant. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and peel and grate the ginger. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion and ginger and allow to soften over gentle heat.

Toss the roasted vegetables into the pan with the onion and stir well together over low heat for a minute or two, before adding the chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer for 15 to 20 minutes and remove from the heat.

Using a stick blender or a food processor, drain and retain the cooking liquid. Puree the carrot and parsnip mixture until it is smooth and silky with a cup of the liquid. Return to the pan with the rest of the saved liquid, and add salt and pepper to taste with a small pinch of sugar. Reheat gently and add the grated rind and juice of the limes. Add the coconut cream and bring to a simmer.

Chop the coriander, keeping aside a few sprigs for garnish, and stir this through the soup.
To serve, ladle the soup into heated bowls and sprinkle with a little freshly ground black pepper and a sprig or two of coriander.