Carrot Parsnip Soup

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This creamy carrot parsnip soup is cozy, flavorful and has the most vibrant orange color. Loaded with fiber and protein, this vegetarian soup is satisfying and delicious.

When fall/winter weather kicks in, I could live off of cozy soups and stews. Soup screams healing comfort food to me and that’s exactly what we all crave during the fall and winter months… especially right now.

To be honest, when developing this recipe I was craving pumpkin soup but didn’t have any pumpkin puree on hand (surprising… I know), so I rolled with a blend of carrots and parsnips and then added a little quinoa to bump up the protein.

Two bowls of carrot parsnip soup topped with green onions and cheese.

The end result was a cozy and delicious soup that was comforting and super delicious. Isaac and I both kept going on and on about how tasty it was the whole time we were eating it. It’s sweet from the carrots, but not too sweet, and has a great flavor from all the herbs and spices. Quinoa is the perfect addition because it makes this soup a little heartier so that it can be served as a meal and not just as an appetizer or side item.

Two bowls of carrot parsnip soup topped with green onions and cheese.

Ingredients & Substitutions for This Soup:

  • vegetables – onion, shallot, garlic, carrots, parsnips, fresh thyme and fresh sage. Don’t skip the fresh herbs because they add so much flavor to this soup.
  • olive oil
  • vegetable broth – water works as well, but I like using broth for more flavor!
  • uncooked quinoa – you could substitute for a different grain if you prefer.
  • miso paste – either red or white miso works for this recipe! I highly recommend using this because it adds a wonderful umami flavor, but if you don’t have miso or can’t find it, you can omit it and season with additional salt.
  • seasonings and spices – cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper and sea salt.
  • optional toppings – scallions and gruyere cheese are the perfect toppings, but parmesan cheese also works well.
Tray with ingredients for carrot parsnip soup like onions, herbs, cheese, garlic and carrots and parsnips.

How to Make Carrot Parsnip Soup

Sauté – Sauté the onion, shallot and garlic in a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook until onions are translucent. Add in herbs and spices to the pot and stir.

Add vegetables – Mix in the carrots, parsnip, quinoa and vegetable broth or water to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-40 minute until veggies are tender.

Blend – Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly. Use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot until a smooth, even consistency is reached. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in a blender in small batches.

Add miso – If you’re using miso, dissolve in warm water and stir it into the soup. Garnish with scallions and shredded gruyere cheese and serve immediately.

What to Serve with Carrot Parsnip Soup

Some people enjoy soup as a meal on its own, but I love pairing soup with a side (or two!) for variety in texture and flavors. My go-to pairings for soup include bread, crackers and salad. Here are some things that would go really well with this soup:

Two bowls of carrot parsnip soup topped with green onions and cheese.

More Parsnip Recipes to Try

More Vegetarian Soup Recipes to Try

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4.47 from 15 votes

Carrot Parsnip Soup

This healthy carrot and parsnip soup is both earthy and (a tad) sweet in flavor. Not only is it delicious, but it packs a punch of protein from the quinoa, and is full of fiber, too! Vegetarian and gluten-free.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients  

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 shallot, chopped finely
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled and chopped
  • 5 cups of vegetable broth or water
  • 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 3 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • sprinkle of cayenne pepper
  • ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon miso paste, dissolved in 1 Tablespoon warm water
  • sea salt, to taste
  • scallions, as garnish
  • 1 ounce gruyere cheese, optional

Instructions 

  • In a large stock pot, heat oil on medium heat. Place onion, shallot and garlic into the pot and sauté for about five to seven minutes or until onions are translucent.
  • Once the onions are translucent, add the herbs and spices (thyme, sage, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper and ground pepper) to the pot and stir.
  • Add chopped carrots, parsnip and quinoa to the pot, pour in vegetable broth or water and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for about 20-40 minutes until veggies are tender.
  • Remove from heat and let stand 3-5 minutes until cooled slightly. Using an immersion blender, blend the contents of the pot until a smooth even consistency is reached. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup in your blender in small batches.
  • Dissolve miso in warm water and stir it into the soup. Miso gives the soup a wonderful flavor, but if you don’t have miso, simply season the soup with a little sea salt.
  • Serve immediately garnished with scallions and shredded gruyere cheese and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 recipe | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 1800mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 16g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrot parsnip soup
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
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48 Comments

  1. This soup looks so delicious! 🙂

    And on a side note, I just started following your blog, and I love it.

  2. This soup sound delicious! I try all your recipes haha I feel we have the same tastes lol Good luck tomorrow! I hope you get some good news 🙂

  3. Adding quinoa is a really good idea…I will remember that next time I make my sweet potato and carrot soup. Good luck with the results tomorrow!

  4. This looks like a very tasty and healthy soup! Thanks for sharing. Good luck at your doctor appt. today! I can related. I had knee surgery in 2009.

  5. So funny, I just made carrot soup this week and added some quinoa to my leftovers. You’re right, it adds a nice hearty texture and some added protein! 🙂

  6. Can’t wait to try this soup! I’m kind of hooked on a Butternut Squash soup with a splash of orange juice right now. Mmmmm…

  7. This sounds amazing. Too many ingredients for me to do myself, but maybe I can talk someone into doing it and sharing. 🙂

    OT, I have been reading your blog forever, and one thing I miss is your meals. I often struggle with what to put with what, or even think of healthy meals when I am rushed or stressed. Maybe take a poll, see if others think this way too, but like all the style blogs that show us how to put that same top with different things to get a totally different style, I’d love more info on mixing and matching easy meals. I think you could be famous for this! Thanks for listening.

  8. I love it when I make something that is so good I can’t stop saying how good it is the whole time I’m eating it! This is such a pretty soup, too. Can’t wait to try it!

  9. I love the idea of using miso in soup instead of salt – very interesting, and a great way to use up the miso that always gets pushed to the back of the fridge.

  10. Wow I just made this soup (with the pumpkin) and it was so so delicious! It was so much better than I thought it would be. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

  11. Fancied making some soup, looked in the fridge and saw I had some oldish parsnips and a bag of carrots. Googled carrot and parsnip soup and this recipe was top of the list. Needless to say I don’t have half the ingredients listed including; coconut oil, miso paste, scallions, shallots, fresh sage and fresh thyme.

  12. i made it and got 4 generous servings at roughly 200 cal/serve
    Thanks for an amazing recipe by the way!!! Love this blog
    x

  13. I made this and it was fantastic. I didn’t have any miso but it still turned out beautifully. So full of flavour! I looked at quite a few carrot/parsnip soup recipes before settling on this one and I’m so glad. Will definitely make it again.

    1. Hi Lucy. Thank you so much for trying this recipes. It’s one of my favorites so I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  14. Hi! Do the nutritional value includes the gruyere cheese? If yes – how would it change without the cheese? Thanks!

    1. Yes, I included the cheese in the nutrition stats. I used My Fitness Pal to calculate the nutrition info if you want to input the recipe minus the cheese to see what the difference is.

  15. 5 stars
    This soup recipe is perfect for the fall season. I love the flavors of this recipe; so delicious. I made sure to double up the batch for leftovers!

    1. So glad you enjoyed this soup, Jo Ann! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!

  16. 5 stars
    We loved this recipe! Perfect for a chilly fall evening. Really yummy flavors. Didn’t have the miso, but still tasted delicious! Thank you for such an easy, awesome recipe!

    1. Yay!! So glad you enjoyed this soup, Meredith. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂

  17. 5 stars
    This was delicious! Very clean-feeling as well as filling. I used water instead of chicken broth to make it low-histamine and it was very good. I think chicken broth would have taken it to the next level!

    1. So glad you loved this soup, Maria! I appreciate you coming back to leave a comment + star rating. <3

  18. 5 stars
    Loved this soup! The sage in it just gives it an amazing flavour. Warm and cozy for the colder months. My 16 MO also loved it!

  19. 5 stars
    Delicious, easy and fast. This is quite filling thanks to the quinoa. It’s definitely going into heavy pandemic rotation. Definitely use the miso. I’ll Ed the flavor it gave to the soup and may even bump it up a little next time..

    1. So glad you enjoyed this soup, Anton! I don’t have a tomato soup on the blog yet, but it’s on my list!

  20. I love this soup! Have made it multiple times. I just add everything to my instant pot, when it has cooled use the immersion blender and you are good to go. I do eliminate the miso paste and will garnish with roasted seeds. Thank you for this delicious recipe!

    1. Ahh yay!! So glad you’ve been loving this soup, Brittney. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!

  21. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! All of the ingredients are amazing together!! Staying in my go-to list when I want to make soup.

    1. Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Eileen. Thanks so much for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it.