Low-Calorie Apple Parsnip Soup

April is a month that leaves us hopeful to see glimpses of spring and sunshine, but we are often met with bitter cold days. Warm up the last winter days with this sweet and savory, super low-calorie, vegan soup. Creamy, gluten-free, and simple to make, this soup will leave you full and warm and feeling good!

Ingredients

2 gala apples, peeled, cored, diced

1/4 medium leek, sliced thin

1 pound parsnips, peeled, diced

1 yukon potato, large dice

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups vegetable stock

8 ounces full fat coconut milk

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Instructions

Special equipment: blender

Set a medium stock pot on a stove top burner. Turn heat to medium and add the olive oil. Wait 2-3 minutes for the oil to heat up. When the oil is hot add apples, leeks, parsnips, and potatoes.

Cook the vegetables until the potatoes start to soften. When the potatoes have started to soften add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes. At this time, add the vegetable stock and coconut milk. Simmer this mixture until all ingredients are fork tender – 20-30 minutes.

Take the soup off of the heat and set it next to your blender. Using a slotted spoon, fill the blender 1/2 of the way with vegetables then cover with soup liquid. Blend until smooth. Pour soup into a container large enough to fit all of it. Add lemon zest, juice, salt, pepper, and mix throughly. Seasoning the soup after blending ensures the spices are dispersed evenly.

Garnish with asparagus strings, apple chips, crispy parsnip skins, fresh herbs, or fresh ground pepper

Nutrition facts:
servings: 6 serving size: 8 ounces

calories: 197, fat: 7g (saturated fat: 4g), sodium: .04g, protein: 3g, carbohydrates: 33g, sugar: 13g, fiber: 6g

Tip from Katie’s Kitchen: The garnishes above are easy to achieve and can be used on/ with many other dishes. To make asparagus strings, simply take a peeler to a stalk of asparagus and put the strings that come off the peeler in cold water. For apple chips, take the apple before dicing and lay it on its side. Cut straight down creating thin rounds of apple. Place rounds on a non stick baking sheet and bake in the oven until crisp. Parsnip skins are amazing when fried in oil. They take on the texture of a potato chip while keeping the sweetness of a parsnip. Save your skins!