Hazelnut Soup

It’s the soup season, and kids actually love soup more than you think! Especially if you tell them that this is their favorite Disney movie soup recipe!

Hazelnut Soup Origin

Hazelnut soup is Rapunzel’s favorite soup in the Disney movie Rapunzel. In the movie, nobody tells us what’s in the hazelnut soup except for parsnip and hazelnut.

So to make this hazelnut soup flavorsome and rich, I added butternut squash to the mix.

How To Make Hazelnut Soup

Let’s see how to make this simple hazelnut soup recipe

Ingredients

All you need to make this soup are:

• Onion or Shallots – my kids prefer onion to shallots, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
• Olive Oil
• Hazelnuts – you can buy ready-made roasted hazelnuts, which makes the recipe faster as the hazelnuts are skinless and roasted, Otherwise keep reading to learn how to roast hazelnuts.
• Leek
• Chopped Parsnip – peel, trim the ends, and chop finely as parsnip is a bit longer to cook than other vegetables.
• Vegetable Broth
• Unsweetened Almond Milk or soy milk, or milk of choice.
• Acorn Aquash, butterkin squash, or butternut – any orange winter squash works well in this soup because all of them have a naturally nutty flavor that enhances the flavor of the roasted hazelnuts in the soup.
• Salt and Pepper

How To Roast Hazelnuts

First, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the raw hazelnuts on the tray in a single even layer.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, shaking halfway to help the skin of the hazelnuts peel off.

Remove the tray from the oven and rub the hot hazelnuts with an oven mitten or into a clean kitchen towel. As you rub the hazelnuts, the skin peels off naturally.

Set aside the skinless toasted hazelnuts in a bowl. I like to set aside 1/4 cup of hazelnuts that I crush and use later on top of the soup as a soup topping.

Roasting The Vegetables

Meanwhile, warm some olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan and cook onion or shallots until fragrant.

Then, add the peeled, chopped vegetables: Roast parsnip, leek, and squash. Stir often and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant.

Now, stir in the roasted hazelnuts, vegetable stock, cover with a lid, and bring to a light boil.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.

Blending

Remove lid, cool down for 10 minutes, then add the cold milk.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender or into a high-speed blender. Make sure your blender jug handles high heat before blending any hot liquid. I am using a Vitamix that does the job very safely.

Adjusting The Texture

We all love our soup differently, so people love ultra-thick and creamy soup, and others prefer a runnier texture.

To make this kid soup runnier, just add cold water and stir to incorporate. You can also add light plant-based milk like almond milk.

Serving

This roasted hazelnut soup recipe is absolutely delicious served with delicious toppings like:

• Crushed Roasted Hazelnuts.
• Homemade Croutons – simply use hard bread, cube, and toast in olive oil with salt and garlic to make your own soup croutons in no time.
• Grated Hard Cheese – like Emmental, Edam, or cheddar.
• A Dollop of Cream or sour cream.
• Pumpkin Seeds

Storage Instructions

This hazelnut soup can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge in a glass airtight container, or you can freeze it for later.

To thaw your soup, place the soup in the fridge overnight.

Rewarming The Soup

You can rewarm soup in a microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan over medium heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Replace Parsnip With Carrots?

Absolutely, both are very similar root vegetables with a sweet note that kids love.

Can I Use Pumpkin?

Yes, you can make a parsnip pumpkin soup with this recipe. Like other winter squashes, pumpkins give a creamy, nutty flavor to soups that goes well with the roasted hazelnuts.

Can I Use Other Nuts?

Sure, almonds or cashews are great alternatives to hazelnuts to make a creamy dairy-free soup.