• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking With Elo
  • Recipes
  • About
    • About Me
    • Work With Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • E-book
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • E-book
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Soup

    Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup With Parsnip

    January 28, 2021 by cookingwithelo Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Hokkaido pumpkin soup with parsnip is a great healthy vegetable soup to make during winter. It's a great alternative to the typical carrot and parsnip soup as it is made with squash and a Chinese 5 spice seasoning. It's gluten-free, vegan and without onions.

    Jump to:
    • Which winter squash to chose?
    • How to make healthy vegetable soup?
    • Tips to make the best soup
    • How to make soup more filling?
    • Substitutions
    • How to store the soup?
    • More healthy vegetable soup recipes
    • The recipe
    • Discover more recipes

    Which winter squash to chose?

    Next to parsnips, this vegan soup also contains squash. We personally use Hokkaido squash, also known as red kuri squash or "potimarron" in French. This squash is often used in baked recipes for its sweet taste and therefore goes really well with the earthiness of parsnips. You can however use any squash type you like.

    Note that you can peel Hokkaido pumpkin with a potato peeler or add it to the soup with the skin on, as it is relatively thin.

    How to make healthy vegetable soup?

    Step 1: Wash and peel the parsnip and squash. Cut them into relatively small pieces for them to cook more quickly.

    Step 2: Roast the vegetable pieces in a large pot with olive oil for 10 minutes over medium-high heat. 

    Step 3: Add the vegetable stock and cover with a lid.

    Step 4: Simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked over medium heat. 

    Step 5: Blend until smooth

    Step 6: Season with salt and Chinese 5-spice.

    Step 7: serve with cooked quinoa and lentils.

    Tips to make the best soup

    • Cut the veggies small cubes for them to cook more quickly
      Cutting the veggies in smaller pieces will allow them to cook more quickly. The soup will also be easier to blend.
    • Roast the vegetables before adding vegetable stock
      The best tip I can give you is to first roast the vegetables in the pot with a little olive oil before adding the vegetable stock. This will give your soup a slightly caramelized flavor that you'll love.
    • Use vegetable broth instead of water
      Using vegetable broth allows you to keep the soup vegan and really enhance the taste of the vegetables.
    • Add spices
      The addition of spices can completely transform soups into a gourmet dish. The sweetness of the squash and the earthiness of the parsnips go really well with the Chines 5 spice seasoning.
    • Don't add too much salt
      Salt is a taste enhancer and definitely necessary to make soups really scrumptious but be careful not to add to much of it.

    How to make soup more filling?

    Some people like to eat their soup with a slice of bread but I prefer other toppings. To make soups extremely filling and even more delicious I like to add some nutritious ingredients, such as beans, lentils, quinoa, rice or a blend of these. To go with this spicy parsnip and squash soup I chose a mix of brown lentils and quinoa.

    Time-saving tip: use canned lentils and pre-cook some quinoa for the week. You can add what is left to your salads (try this sweet potato, spinach & quinoa winter salad).

    Note that if the soup contains potatoes, I probably won't add anything else as it is already fairly satiating.

    Substitutions

    • Squash: you can use any type of winter squash or even substitute the squash with carrots to make a delicious carrot and parsnip soup.
    • Spices: the recipe calls fr Chinese 5 spices. You can however also use a traditional 4 spice or gingerbread spice mix.

    How to store the soup?

    Transfer the soup into air-tight containers and keep it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze the soup for up to 6 months.

    More healthy vegetable soup recipes

    • Vegan butternut squash soup
    • Spicy tomato soup (from fresh or canned tomatoes)

    The recipe

    Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup With Parsnip

    5 from 1 vote
    This Hokkaido pumpkin soup with parsnip is a great healthy vegetable soup to make during winter. It changes from your typical carrot and parsnip soup as it is made with squash and a Chinese 5 spice seasoning.
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Author: Eloïse Jennes

    Equipment

    • 1 Cutting board
    • 1 Sharp knife and vegetable peeler
    • Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scales
    • 1 Large pot

    Ingredients 

    • 2 large parsnips
    • 1 small Hokkaido pumpkin approximately 1 kg or 2.2. lbs
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 6 cups (1,5 L) vegetable stock or 2 bouillon cubes + water
    • 15 ounces (400 g) canned brown lentils
    • ⅔ cup (120 g) quinoa
    • 2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice seasoning or 4 spice or gingerbread spice mix
    • 1 pinch of salt

    Instructions

    • Wash and peel the vegetables*. Cut them into relatively small pieces for them to cook more quickly. 
    • Heat a large pot with olive oil. When hot, add the vegetables and roast them for 10 minutes over medium-high heat. 
    • Add the vegetable stock and cover with a lid. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. 
    • Rinse the quinoa under cold water. Cook it according to package directions. Drain when cooked
    • Drain and rinse the canned lentils.
    • Blend the soup with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth.
    • Season with salt and Chinese 5-spice. Serve with quinoa and lentils.

    Notes

    1. You can peel Hokkaido pumpkin with a potato peeler or add it to the soup with the skin on, as it is relatively thin.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 11g
    Leave a rating and comment below! Thank you!Don't forget to mention @cookingwithelo on social media

    If you tried this recipe or any other recipe from the blog, make sure to let me know how you liked it by rating it and leaving a comment below! Your feedback really matters! Follow me on Instragram, Pinterest and Facebook to never miss a recipe.

    Discover more recipes

    More Soup

    • Grey ceramic bowl with chunky potato soup, a silver spoon and a sprig of dill.
      3-Ingredient Potato Soup (Without Milk)
    • Grey ceramic bowl with bright orange tomato soup topped with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil.
      3-Ingredient Tomato Soup
    • 1-Pot Thaï Glass Noodle Soup
    • Two bowls of vegan spinach soup with potatoes and white beans.
      Vegan Spinach Soup

    This site contains affiliate links which means that I may receive a commission if you purchase through that link, at no extra cost to you. However, please know that I only provide links to products that I actually use and wholeheartedly recommend! Please read out full disclosure here.

    Reader Interactions

    Did you like this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Elo-portrait

    Hi, I'm Elo!
    My goal is to make vegan and gluten-free cooking easy and enjoyable. I provide simple recipes to help you meal prep according to your dietary restrictions and hope some of them will make the list of your all-time favorites!

    More about me →

    Popular Vegan & GF Dinners

    • Grey ceramic plate with twisted linguine covered with green basil pesto.
      Pasta Al Pesto (Linguine With Basil Pesto)
    • Galette bretonne on a plate.
      3-Ingredient Buckwheat Galettes
    • Mediterranean tomato cucumber salad
      Easy Mediterranean Tomato Cucumber Salad
    • Shallow white plate of spaghetti with lentil sauce on a beige background.
      30-Minute Vegan Lentil Bolognese

    10-Minute Snacks E-book

    Sign up here to receive the most epic no-bake snack recipes that you can make within 10 minutes!

    Popular Vegan & GF Desserts

    • Aquafaba chocolate mousse texture.
      Aquafaba Chocolate Mousse
    • Two scoops of frozen yogurt made with an ice cream maker in a small glass bowl.
      Frozen Yogurt Recipe (With Ice Cream Maker)
    • Baked cherry crisp where a spoonful is missing.
      Gluten-Free Cherry Crisp
    • Vegan Chocolate Truffles Without Cream

    How to support Cooking With Elo

    If you like my recipes, here are 4 easy ways to support me and my food blog:

    1. Leave a star rating and a comment under recipes you tried and loved.
    2. Share your favorite recipes with friends that are on a vegan and/or gluten-free diet.
    3. Sign up for the newsletter to be the first one to know about new recipes.
    4. Follow along on Instagram, I'd love to connect personally!

    Your support means the world and allows me to continue providing free recipes with you every week!

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    • Recipe Index
    • About Elo
    • Privacy Policy
    • Nutrition Disclaimer
    • Copyright
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2023 Cooking With Elo. All rights reserved.