Tag: pastinaak

Three Winter Soups

11 December 2025

A few weeks ago, we enjoyed a delicious vegan dinner at Lokaal, a small restaurant in the centre of Gent, Belgium. Friendly service, relaxed atmosphere and nice music. One of the specialties of Lokaal is fermentation, for instance homemade Tempeh from Bulgur. Lots of umami and length. We loved it!
Our dinner at Lokaal started with a nice winter soup made with kale and kohlrabi. We’re not the biggest fans of kale, but in this case it worked very well. The kohlrabi gave a nice, uplifting touch to the soup.

It made us think of other winter soups, like parsnip and Jerusalem artichoke soup, and parsley root soup. Ah, those forgotten vegetables! They bring us new flavours and combinations.

We used vegetable stock for all three soups. It is made with Carrot, Onion, Leek, Celery and Black Pepper (and optional a bouquet garni). Easy to make and lots of flavour. It freezes well, which makes it an even more important asset.

What You Need (Kale and Kohlrabi soup)
  • 500 ml Vegetable Stock
  • 200 grams of Kohlrabi
  • 50 grams of Kale
  • French Mustard
What You Do
  1. Clean the vegetables
  2. Devein the kale
  3. Peel the kohlrabi
  4. Coarsely chop the vegetables
  5. Warm the stock
  6. Add the kohlrabi
  7. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes
  8. Add the kale
  9. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes
  10. Use a blender to make a relatively smooth soup
  11. Add mustard to taste
  12. Serve
  13. PS The soup doesn’t keep well, so not one for the refrigerator
What You Need (Parsnip and Jerusalem Artichoke soup)
  • 500 ml Vegetable Stock
  • 200 grams Parsnip
  • 200 grams Jerusalem Artichokes
  • White Pepper (optional)
What You Do
  1. Clean, peel and coarsely chop the vegetables
  2. Warm the stock
  3. Add the vegetables
  4. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are done
  5. Use a blender to make a smooth and creamy soup
  6. Depending on the Jerusalem Artichokes the soup can become fairly thick. Add some stock if so required
  7. Taste (optional: add some white pepper)
  8. Serve
  9. PS You can also enjoy the soup the next day, it keeps well in the refrigerator
What You Need (Parsley Root soup)
  • 500 ml of Vegetable Stock
  • 200 grams Parsley Root
  • 1 small Shallot
  • ½ Leek (white only)
  • 1 small clove Garlic
  • Butter
  • Parsley
What You Do
  1. Warm butter in a pan
  2. Peel and coarsely chop parsley root
  3. Coarsely chop leek and onion
  4. Glaze onion and leek in butter
  5. Add parsley root
  6. Add garlic
  7. Leave on low heat for 5 minutes
  8. Add stock
  9. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the parsley root is soft
  10. Blender
  11. Pass through a sieve
  12. Simmer for 10 minutes
  13. Cool
  14. Serve the next day
  15. Decorate with chopped parsley leaves
Kale and Kohlrabi Soup made with vegetable stock. An intriguing combination. The kohlrabi gives this winter soup an uplifting flavour. ©cadwu
Kale and Kohlrabi Soup ©cadwu

Parsnip

6 February 2025

Parsley, fennel, parsnip and carrots are closely related. A purée made with for instance parsley root, fennel and olive oil is very tasty. On our local market we saw parsnip: a sweet, tasty carrot-like vegetable, already enjoyed in Roman times and native to many countries. Easy to prepare and not expensive. It combines very well with nutmeg, clove and even cinnamon.
Parsnip is rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium. Parsnip is supposed to be healthy (various antioxidants and fibers).
It was one of the forgotten vegetables, but fortunately parsnip is becoming more available, also in supermarkets. It can be eaten cooked, grilled, fried and raw. How about a parsnip salad with potatoes and mackerel? (Watch Belgian chef Jeroen Meus prepare this dish, video in Dutch).
We decided to fry parsnip in olive oil. Doesn’t it look amazing?

Wine Pairing

We served our fried Parsnip with excellent beef. Thinking of the combination we decided to enjoy a glass of red wine from the Bordeaux region. In general, we suggest a red wine with aromas of dark fruit. A medium bodied, balanced wine with a fruity finish and soft tannins. Perhaps a touch of oak.

What You Need
  • Parsnip
  • Olive Oil
  • Black Pepper
What You Do
  1. Heat a pan, add olive oil, peel the parsnip, slice and fry in oil.
  2. The sugar in the vegetable will give the slices a golden colour within minutes, so keep your eye on the pan.
  3. Serve the parsnip with some black pepper.
Fried Parsnip ©cadwu
Parsnip ©cadwu