White Velvet Soup

By chris5863

Ingredients

• Pomegranate Gremolata:
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 parsnips, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• Crispy cooked bacon, chopped, for garnish
• Grated Parmesan, for garnish
• Pomegranate Gremolata, for garnish, recipe follows
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 45mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven medium-high heat. Add the parsnips, celery, fennel, onion, salt and fennel seeds. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add 4 cups water and the bay leaf to the pan, and stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover with a lid. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft. Allow to cool slightly.

Puree the soup in two batches, adding half of the almond milk to each batch. Return the soup to the Dutch oven, and heat to warm through--alternatively, pour the soup into a slow cooker and keep warm on the low setting. Serve garnished with bacon, Parmesan and Pomegranate Gremolata.

Pomegranate Gremolata:
In a bowl, mix together the parsley, pomegranate seeds, lemon zest and salt.