Like everything we do at Functional Self, our recipes have been designed to help you achieve your optimal state. The foods we eat impact our energy levels, mood and cognitive ability, as well as supporting a healthy gut microbiome. We wanted to create a recipe series that focuses on nutrient-dense real foods that will help you reach your highest level of health and vitality. Functional Self recipes are packed full of nourishing ingredients and will help to provide a clear path ahead for clean eating, regardless of your starting off point. 

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Curried Parsnip & Apple Soup  

• Level: Easy
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes 
• Cook Time: 50 minutes from start to finish 
• Makes: 4 servings  

Apple and parsnip combined with subtle spices tastes divine. This soup is fragrant with just a slight sweetness, and the pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top add a beautiful pop of colour, texture and flavour. You can also make this soup using the same quantity of cauliflower instead of parsnip. Perfect for batch cooking, simply freeze in portions then defrost and reheat for a quick meal. 

Ingredients 

• 600g peeled parsnips
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon peeled chopped ginger
• 600ml water + 400ml coconut milk
• 1 small apple, peeled, cored and grated
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
• 1 teaspoon sea / Himalayan pink salt
• Parsley to garnish (optional)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or ghee) 

Instructions 

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion on a low-medium heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the parsnip into chunks approximately 1/2 inch in size and get the other ingredients ready.  

2. Add the salt, ginger and all the spices and cook for a further 5 minutes.   

3. Add the parsnip, water and coconut milk. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the apple. 

4. Use a blender to blend the soup in batches, for safety ensuring the blender is no more than half full at any one time. If the soup is too thick, add a little more water. If too thin you can add back to the pan and cook uncovered until it reaches desired consistency. 

5. Add the soup to bowls, sprinkle on some pomegranate seeds and a little chopped parsley.  

Enjoy!