Creamy Parsnip & Almond Soup with a Citrus Herb Pesto

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenCreamy Parsnip & Almond Soup with a Citrus Herb Pesto

Skill Level	Advance

Preparation Time	15 minutes	Total Time	35 minutes
Servings	6	Cost Per Serving	$1.25

Creamy Parsnip Almond Soup

6	Parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup	Whole Almonds, roasted or raw
1	Medium Onion, roughly chopped
1 clove	Garlic, crushed
2 tsp	Ground Coriander Seed
1/2 tsp	Ground Nutmeg
1 L	Vegetable Stock
1/2 cup	Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp	Grape Seed Oil
To taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Citrus Herb Pesto

1/2 cup	Any combination of herbs (parsley, thyme, cilantro, mint, rosemary, etc.)
1 tbsp	Almonds
1 tbsp	Orange Zest
1 tbsp	Olive Oil
To taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

In a large sauce pot over medium heat add grape seed oil. Add a small piece of onion to the oil; once it starts sizzling the oil is hot enough and you can add the remaining onion and garlic.
Cook until onions are soft. Add parsnips, coriander seed and nutmeg. Stir once to combine and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
Add stock, turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Blend the almonds in a food processor until ground and add to the soup.
Once the parsnips are soft add the yogurt and blend the soup with a hand blender or carefully transfer to a stand blender.
For the herb pesto add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until it reaches a consistency that you like. Add a spoonful to each bowl of soup.

PDF link to nutrition facts for Creamy Parsnip & Almond Soup with a Citrus Herb Pesto

Blending soup so there are no lumps will help make it easier to swallow. You can change the consistency to suit your needs by using more or less vegetable stock, making the soup thinner or thicker. If you have swallowing difficulties, ask for a referral to a speech-language pathologist (SLP). An SLP can help determine which consistency is right for you.
Almonds are a nutritious replacement for the cream and flour that are typically used to thicken creamy soups. While cream is rich in calories, these mostly come from saturated fat, which can raise LDL (“lousy”) cholesterol levels. High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood promote the buildup of plaque in artery walls, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Almonds contain mostly monounsaturated fat, the heart-healthy type found in olive oil, which is associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
Almonds are rich in vitamin E, which also acts as an antioxidant: ¼ cup of almonds provides almost half the vitamin E you need in a day!
Nuts are dense in calories and are a good source of protein, which can be especially helpful for people who aren’t able to eat much. Getting most of your protein from vegetarian sources such as beans, peas, nuts and seeds is recommended for cancer survivors and can also help prevent cancer.