Creamy, delicious and packed with so many delicious flavours, this is our favourite veggie-packed dish that everyone loves to make around the colder months of the year. Roasted parsnips are blended to make a simple purée that is mixed through orzo and blue cheese to make an incredibly flavoursome, risotto-like dish. We mix through some roasted chestnuts at the end but you can also add some extra roasted parsnip chunks or anything else you have at home.
Serves 4-6 & takes 35 minutes to cook
Ingredients
4 medium parsnips (about 400g), peeled and cut into small chunks
1 onion, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
300g orzo
1 vegetable stock cube mixed with 300ml of boiling water
2 teaspoons of runny honey
150g soft blue cheese, cut into small pieces
1x 180g pack of roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C, fan setting.
2. Place the chopped parsnips on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well and roast for 30 minutes, or until they become completely soft. At this point, remove from the oven and leave to cool a little.
3. Place a large pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the chopped onion, garlic and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes until the onion feels soft.
4. At this point, stir through the cumin and cook for a few seconds before adding the orzo and vegetable stock. Leave to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the orzo feels cooked and absorbs the water.
5. While the orzo is cooking, place the roasted parsnips into a powerful blender with a splash of water. Blend until you have a smooth paste, adding a dash more water if needed to create a thick, creamy parsnip purée.
6. Once the orzo feels soft and has absorbed all of the water, stir through the parsnip purée, runny honey and most of the blue cheese and chopped chestnuts (if using), saving a little of both for the top. Cook for another few minutes until everything is piping hot and has come together, adding a dash more water as the mixture needs it to create a creamy, delicious texture.
7. Serve with some chopped chestnuts, blue cheese and a crack of pepper on top.
