Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes
There's nothing like cooking a nutritious meal that my kids love. I've noticed that any dish that they personalize in some way usually makes it into their list of favorites. Their list includes homemade pizza, pancakes, omelettes, and this type of soups. When I make these creamy soups they add small crackers, popcorn, shredded cheese, cooked rice or toast with butter cut into tiny pieces which makes it qualify as a favorite.
My favorite dishes on our menu are the yummy and nutritious. And this soup (and its variations) is #1 on that list. I sometimes use it to introduce new vegetables to my kids too, since it is a subtle way to start them to get used to the new flavors. This time the new vegetable/flavor was parsnips and it was a hit. Not to mention I got to add cilantro and white truffle oil to my bowl!
I don't usually add chicken (my mom used to do that) but this time we had cooked chicken leftovers from the night before and added it. It truly was an amazing soup, if I can say so myself.
by Denisse Icaza
What you'll need
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 6 cups chicken stock or 6 cups water and a bouillon cube
- 1 small potato, peeled and cubed
- 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cubed
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1/4 cup of cilantro (no need to chop)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon of butter (optional)
- 3/4 cup cooked chicken breast (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Variations:
Feel free to substitute the parsnips for other vegetables. We also love this recipe with carrots, broccoli or cauliflower.
How to make it
- Heat oil in a soup pot and add onions. Cook until translucent.
- Add chicken stock, potatoes, parsnips, celery, cilantro and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Remove from stove and, using a blender, blend the soup with the milk, chicken and butter until creamy. Make sure to leave some of the liquid out to determine if all of it will be needed for the right consistency. If it is too thick, add water and milk until the preferred consistency is achieved.
- Add salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm with popcorn, small crackers or shredded cheese for the kids. Mom and dad can add chopped cilantro and a few drops of white truffle oil!
