It’s fresh and hearty.—Stardew Valley item description
Nothing is more satisfying than cooking with fresh vegetables from your own garden! I’ve enclosed a recipe to help you out. Take care.—Caroline
This is the first recipe Caroline sends you when you reach a high enough relationship with her. She appears to be a big fan of vegetable gardening and champions how wonderful it is to cook with your own home-grown produce.
She is, admittedly, not wrong.
This recipe is a wonderful celebration of overwintered parsnips available in early spring, where parsnips are left in the ground over fall and winter to develop a sweeter flavor. Unfortunately this also means they often develop a woody core which has to be cut away before cooking.
The Pam-approved soup starts with the familiar peppery bite of parsnips and gives way to a mellow, sweet finish that lingers on the tongue thanks to onion, white wine, and a splash of white wine vinegar. If you don’t consume alcohol, try replacing the wine with vegetable or chicken broth and an additional tablespoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar. I added heavy cream instead of milk because milk tends to curdle when added to hot soups or sauces; if you want to add something lighter like half and half instead, keep the soup over a low or medium heat before adding the half and half and never bring it back to a boil.
When you’re finished, ladle yourself a nice bowl and garnish with chives or other herbs—fresh or dried—that you prefer. Scoop up any remaining bits of soup with a nice crusty bread.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
¾ cup dry white wine
3 pounds parsnips, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth*
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¾ teaspoon white wine vinegar
¾ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh or dried chives, for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- In Dutch oven or large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauteing until translucent.
- Add wine and bring to a boil, then simmer on medium low until wine is reduced by half—about 10 minutes.
- Add parsnips, broth of choice, bay leaf, vinegar, and thyme and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes or until parsnips are tender.
- Whisk in heavy cream and puree soup using preferred method, reheating afterwards if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with fresh or dried chives.
*Note: This makes a very salty soup, so you may not need to add any salt at the end; for a less salty soup use a lower sodium broth.
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