The 1 Unexpected Fruit Chefs Use For The Best Parsnip Soup

You might already know that Gordon Ramsay makes chocolate mousse from avocados.

Each to their own, I suppose ― but if (like mine) your post-Crimbo cupboards are heaving with leftover parsnips rather than exotic pears, you might have been tempted to make some soup from the leftovers. 

If that’s the case, yet another unlikely combination might be in store.

Recipe developer and food blogger Becca Pusey wrote on Great British Chef’s site that there’s one humble fruit that can elevate the beige dish to new heights.

Which is?

The food pro pairs apples with her parsnip (and potatoes), chopping them up and sautéeing them alongside the veg. 

The Hairy Bikers have also approved the combination too, writing for BBC Food’s site: “This delicious parsnip and apple soup perfectly combines tangy cooking apples and the sweetness from parsnips.”

And according to former Royal Chef Darren McGrady, the parsnip/apple combination was a favourite of Princess Diana’s. 

“There’s something about the velvety-smooth creaminess of the parsnips in the soup and then the tart sharp apples in there as well... the combination together just makes it so comforting on cold days,” the chef shared in a YouTube video.

He, along with the Hairy Bikers, adds a sprinkling of curry powder to the mix for a bit of pep. 

Apples have been a soup fruit for centuries

I’ll be honest, I thought the combination was a bit of a one-off. But it turns out apples have been used in soup for literally hundreds of years.

Per the Washington Post, “Fruit soups were part of the Pennsylvania Dutch menu in the 18th and 19th centuries.” 

British food historian Dr Neil Buttery tried a “very old recipe going right back to the fifteenth century” for his blog ― this combined windfall apples with beef broth.

The combination seemed less successful than the royal-approved apple/parsnip pairing, though, with the historical food expert writing: “Would I make it again? Only when I’m very poor.”