Anna Louise Parsnip soup is one of my favourite soups of the entire year — velvety, naturally sweet, warmly spiced, and completely satisfying in a way that thinner, more delicate soups are not.
The addition of apple — specifically a Cox, which has just enough sharpness to balance the parsnip’s sweetness — gives a soup that is more complex and more interesting than parsnip alone.
The combination feels specifically autumnal and specifically British. Parsnips at their best from October onwards, Cox apples at their best from September, a warm kitchen, and a pot of something that smells extraordinary from the moment the onions and parsnips start to soften in the butter.
I make this for lunch through the whole of autumn and winter. It is the soup I serve as a dinner party starter in small bowls with a swirl of cream and a scattering of crispy parsnip chips on top — it looks stunning and takes thirty-five minutes.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Parsnip and Apple Soup
For the Soup
- 40g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 700g parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 Cox or Braeburn apples — peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 litre good quality vegetable or chicken stock
- 150ml double cream
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
To Serve
- A swirl of double cream or crème fraîche
- Crispy parsnip chips — thin strips of parsnip deep or shallow fried until golden (optional)
- A few fresh thyme leaves
- A drizzle of good quality olive oil
- Crusty bread or warm seeded rolls
How to Make Mary Berry Parsnip and Apple Soup
Step 1 — Soften the Base
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for eight to ten minutes until completely soft and beginning to turn golden. I do not rush this stage — a properly softened, slightly golden onion gives the soup a sweet, rounded base that an undercooked onion cannot.
Add the garlic and all the ground spices. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently, until the spices are fragrant and coating the onion. The smell at this point is completely wonderful.
Step 2 — Add the Parsnip and Apple
Add the roughly chopped parsnips and apples to the pan. Stir to coat in the spiced butter. Cook for three to four minutes, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the parsnip begin to soften.
Step 3 — Add the Stock and Simmer
Pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the parsnips are completely tender — they should offer no resistance when pressed with the back of a spoon.
Step 4 — Blend Until Silky
Remove from the heat and blend until completely smooth — two full minutes with a stick blender or in batches in a standard blender. The parsnip gives a naturally thick, naturally velvety consistency when blended that requires no additional thickening. Pass through a fine sieve if an especially silky finish is wanted.
Step 5 — Finish and Season
Return to a gentle heat. Stir in the double cream and lemon juice. Warm through — do not boil. Taste and season carefully with salt and white pepper. The soup should be sweet from the parsnip, slightly sharp from the apple and lemon, and warmly spiced throughout.
Step 6 — Serve
Ladle into warm bowls. Swirl cream or crème fraîche over the surface. Top with crispy parsnip chips if using. Scatter a few fresh thyme leaves. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.
Tips For Best Mary Berry Parsnip and Apple Soup
Cook the spices in the butter before adding liquid. Two minutes of the cumin, coriander, ginger, and turmeric in the hot butter with the onion develops the aromatic compounds in the spices and gives a depth of flavour that simply adding them to the stock does not achieve. This step takes two minutes and makes a significant difference to the finished soup.
Use Cox or Braeburn apples — not Bramleys. Bramleys collapse completely and give sharpness without any texture. Cox or Braeburn give a slightly firmer result during cooking that blends more smoothly and gives a cleaner flavour without the harsh sharpness of a Bramley. The apple should give background sharpness — not dominate.
The lemon juice at the end is essential. Parsnip is naturally very sweet — the sweetness can be slightly cloying in a soup without a contrasting acidity. The half lemon added at the end, alongside the apple, gives the brightness and balance the soup needs.
Blend for two full minutes. Parsnip is slightly fibrous and needs proper blending time to achieve a completely smooth result. Two minutes gives a velvety consistency. One minute can leave small fibrous pieces that interrupt the smooth character of the soup.
Crispy parsnip chips make this a dinner party starter. Thin strips of parsnip, fried briefly until golden and crispy, placed on top of the cream swirl, turn this from a pleasant weekday lunch into something genuinely elegant. They take five minutes and make the presentation completely professional.
Serving Suggestions
As an elegant dinner party starter in small bowls — it looks genuinely stunning. As a warming autumn or winter lunch with crusty bread. As the first course of a Sunday lunch in October or November when parsnips are at their absolute best.
How to Store Mary Berry Parsnip and Apple Soup
In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently — do not boil. The flavour improves overnight.
In the freezer: Freeze before adding cream for up to 3 months. Add cream fresh when reheating.
Mary Berry Parsnip and Apple Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Melt butter with oil over medium heat. Cook onion 8–10 minutes until soft and beginning to golden. Add garlic and all ground spices — stir 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add parsnip and apple — stir to coat. Cook 3–4 minutes.
- Add stock. Bring to boil — simmer 20–25 minutes until parsnip is completely tender.
- Blend completely smooth — 2 full minutes. Pass through a fine sieve for an especially silky finish if desired.
- Return to gentle heat. Add cream and lemon juice. Warm through — do not boil. Season carefully with salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust.
- Ladle into warm bowls. Swirl cream. Top with crispy parsnip chips if using. Scatter thyme leaves. Drizzle olive oil. Serve with crusty bread.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pears instead of apples?
Yes — ripe Conference pears give a slightly sweeter, slightly more delicate result. They suit the parsnip beautifully and give the soup a slightly more refined character.
Can I make this without cream?
Yes — replace the double cream with oat cream or simply omit it. The soup is still wonderful — slightly thinner in character but equally well-flavoured.
Can I add curry powder instead of individual spices?
Yes — one teaspoon of a good quality mild curry powder replaces the individual spices and gives a slightly different but equally good result. The soup becomes more specifically curried in character rather than warmly spiced.
Can I roast the parsnips before adding to the soup?
Yes — roasting the parsnip chunks at 200°C for 20 minutes until golden before adding to the soup gives a slightly more caramelised, more complex flavour. The roasting step adds time but gives a noticeably better result.
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