A light drizzle of white truffle oil helps to balance the sweet roasted parsnip. Use chicken or vegetable stock instead of cream if you prefer your soups a little lighter.

Ingredients

80 gm cold butter, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small leek, white part only, thinly sliced

4 thyme sprigs

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock

600 gm parsnips (about 3 large), cut into 1cm pieces

300 ml pouring cream

2½ tbsp white truffle oil (see note)

50 gm roasted hazelnuts, chopped

2 tbsp oregano leaves

Method

1.Heat half the butter and the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and thyme sprigs. Cook, stirring frequently, until leek is softened (6-7 minutes). Add garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant (1 minute). Add stock and parsnip, season to taste and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until parsnip is very tender (18-20 minutes).

2.Discard the thyme sprigs, stir cream and truffle oil into soup and transfer to a blender and blend until very smooth; season to taste.

3.Heat remaining butter in a small saucepan until foaming and nut brown (3-4 minutes), then stir in hazelnuts and oregano leaves and cook until oregano is crisp (30 seconds).

4.To serve, divide soup between bowls and drizzle with oregano and hazelnut burnt butter.

Truffle oil is available from select supermarkets and specialty food shops.
Notes

Recipe by Jessica Brook Recipe Writer and Food Stylist

Jessica’s culinary journey has covered every corner of the food world as a professionally trained chef, recipe writer, food editor, food consultant and stylist. With over 16 years of experience, Jessica has worked across many of Australia's most prestigious food titles, including Gourmet Traveller, Martha Stewart, Donna Hay, and Vogue Entertaining & Travel. When it comes to food, Jessica's all in. With a genuine passion for flavour and a deep appreciation for its diverse cultural influences, Jessica excels in crafting engaging food stories and creating unique recipes. Her style? Tasteful simplicity that highlights the essence of ingredients and heartfelt cooking. You could say she's a bit of a food fanatic, bringing her own unique touch to every dish she creates, particularly in her contributions to Gourmet Traveller through which her dishes resonate with readers seeking new and inspiring culinary experiences.

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Styling by Steve Pearce

Ingredients

Method

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