Parsnip soup with cider by Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall 

We have made this delicious soup using our award winning Black Fox organic cider as we know Hugh is a fan  - you can get hold of some from our online shop. 

Renowned for it's sweet and tangy after tastes our Black Fox complements the ingredients perfectly. You can also substitute the butter and cream for plant based alternatives which work equally well (and yes we've tried it!).

This is a deliciously rich and warming autumn soup. You can finish this in all sorts of ways such as fried diced apple and a few thyme leaves on top. You could make a similarly delicious soup with pumpkin or squash. 

Ingredients  - Serves four

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 knob butter
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 500g parsnips
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 250ml Black Fox organic cider
• 500ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 large sprig fresh thyme
• 50ml single or double cream (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

(Recipe originally featured in The Guardian Life and Style)

Method

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sweat the onion gently for a few minutes while you prepare the parsnips. Peel them, quarter them lengthways (remove the cores if tough or woody), and roughly chop. Add to the onion with the garlic, and sweat, stirring a few times, for five to 10 minutes.

Pour in the cider and stock, add the thyme sprig, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the parsnips are soft. Remove the thyme, then liquidise the soup, adding a splash more stock (or water) if you think it needs it, but keeping it nice and thick. Return the soup to the pan, stir in the cream (if using) and adjust the seasoning to taste. Reheat if necessary and serve sprinkled with croutons, bits of crisp bacon or some little cubes of fried apple.