Peanut Soup with Parnsip Crisps

If you ever had peanut sauce in a Thai food dish and wondered "can't I just eat a bowl of this?" then this is the soup for you. I can't possibly be the only one who thinks this way, for that reason, I give you my recipe for peanut soup!

This soup is thickened with parsnips and sweetened with crisp apple. Coconut milk, creamy peanut butter, fresh ginger and chile round out the flavors in this subtle but bright flavored soup.

Peanut Soup
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 cup small dice shallot
1 parsnip, small dice
sea salt
1 fuji apple, peeled, small dice
1 red chile pepper, seeded, minced
1/2" piece fresh ginger, minced
1 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter
1-15oz can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
12 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed for 30 minutes, medium dice
1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts, for garnish
2 tbl minced scallions, for garnish

Saute the shallots, parsnip and 1/2 tsp salt in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Add the apple, chile and ginger and saute 7 minutes more.  Add the peanut butter and coconut milk and bring to a light simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the parsnip is totally soft.
Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
Bring back to the pot and add the broth and tofu. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Season to taste with more salt.
Garnish with chopped peanuts, chives and parsnip crisps.

Parsnip Crisps
1 large parsnip
2 tbl ap flour
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
canola oil

Use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice the parsnips lengthwise.
In a bowl combine the flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss the parsnip strips in the flour and pan fry in a shallow layer of oil until crispy.