Creamy Spinach Potage

Serves 8

Sweeter, creamier and more flavorful than white potatoes, parsnips form the ideal vegetable base for a French potage, or thick, creamy soup. Choose small to medium parsnips that are heavy for their size, and slice them in uniform pieces for even cooking.

2 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
1 stalk celery, sliced (about ⅓ cup)
2 low-sodium vegetable bouillon cubes
1 ½ lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced (about 4 cups)
3 cups baby spinach
⅓ cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 Tbs. low-fat milk or plain soymilk

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and celery, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add 6 cups water, vegetable bouillon cubes and parsnips. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until parsnips are tender.
Increase heat to medium-high, and stir in spinach. Cook 1 minute, or until spinach wilts but is still bright green.
Transfer soup in batches to blender or food processor, and purée until soup is smooth. (Or purée soup in pot using an immersion blender.) Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Return soup to pot, and keep warm. If making soup ahead of time, refrigerate it until an hour before you plan to serve it, then warm soup over medium heat, but do not boil.
Just before serving, whisk yogurt and milk in small bowl until smooth. Serve bowls of soup topped with dollops of yogurt mixture.

January 2006