Parsnip, Chorizo and Almond Soup

I think that Parsnips are okay but I don't love them so I didn't expect a lot out of this soup. The big surprise to me is how spicy this dish was. Normally I would get a mild Chorizo but this time I ended up getting a "hot" Chorizo and it made a huge difference. Even though I was sweating while eating it, I really ended up enjoying this soup with a fresh load of bread and a glass of wine :)

One change I made from the original recipe was the Almonds. Originally it called for Chestnuts but they are seasonal so good luck finding them after fall. I even looked for the vacuum packed ones but I couldn't find them anywhere. So as always, I did my own substitution. One other thing it called for was 1 celery stock. I wasn't going to buy a whole celery, which I wouldn't use, for just one stock so I skipped it.

(Servers 4 to 6)

Ingredients:
4 to 6oz - Chorizo
1 - Tbsp, olive oil
1 - Onion, Chopped
3 - Garlic Cloves, diced
1 - Carrot, Choppped
3 - Parsnips, Chopped
1/4 - Tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 - Tbsp ground cumin
1/4 - Cup of Chopped Almonds
4 - Cups Chicken stock
Salt and Pepper

(See how I made it look like a happy face?)

Directions:
Chop the Chorizo and put it in a large saucepan, then heat for 3 - 5 minutes or until the oil starts to be released. At the same time the Chorizo will start to brown up a bit.

Remove the Chorizo leaving as much of the oils in the pan that you can. Add the Onion, Garlic, Carrot and Parsnips to the pan.

Cook for 10 minutes or until the veggies start to soften. You may need to add the Olive oil to prevent the veggies from burning.

Add the Red Pepper flakes, Cumin, Almonds and season with Salt and Pepper.

Add the Chicken Stock, cover and then simmer for  25 - 30 minutes.

 (After Simmering)

Transfer the contents to a blender and blend until smooth.

Warm up the Chorizo then Ladle the soup into a bowl and top with the Chorizo

It goes really well with a fresh loaf of bread and some wine :)