Simple Soup and Bread Dinner

Parsnip Soup with Toasted Pecans and Feta
Asiago Cheese and Cracked Pepper Bread

Ingredients:

* 4 tablespoons butter
* 2 large leeks, white part only, sliced
* 2 pounds parsnips, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1 pound potatoes, peeled cut into 1 inch cubes
* 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
* 3 cups water
* 2/3 cup half and half
* 6 tablespoons pecans, toasted, chopped
* Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
* 5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
* Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the leeks and sweat, stirring regularly for eight minutes or until softened. Stir in the potato and parsnips and cook for ten minutes, stirring every few minutes so that the vegetables don’t color.

Add the stock and water plus 1 tablespoon salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. As soon as it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until potato and parsnip are tender. Remove from the heat.

Cool slightly, then blend with a stick blender (or in batches with a regular blender) until smooth. Stir in the cream and then taste. Add more salt if necessary. Reheat gently over low heat - don’t allow to boil or your cream will separate.

Just before serving, mix pecans with a small drizzle of oil to give them a nice gloss. Ladle soup into bowls and top with feta. Sprinkle over the pecans, add a grinding of black pepper, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley.