Root Vegetable Soup Recipe

Recipe - Root Vegetable Soup

What you need:
    * 1 large sauce pan
    * 4 medium carrots chopped
    * 2 large potatoes chopped
    * 1 large or 3 small parsnips chopped
    * 1 large turnip chopped
    * 2 tbsp of sunflower oil
    * 2 tbsp of butter
    * 6 ½ cups of water
    * 1 piece of root ginger peeled and grated
    * 1 ¼ cups of milk
    * 3 tbsp of crème fraiche (Creme Fresh)(see recipe below)
    * 2 tbsp of fresh dill chopped
    * 1 tbsp lemon juice
    * pinch of salt
    * pinch of pepper
What to do:
Combine oil, butter, and vegetables in the large sauce pan and fry lightly. Then cover, drop to a low heat, and sweat the vegetables for 15 minutes (shake the pan occasionally whilst doing this to prevent burning).
Pour in the water, bring to a boil, and season well. Cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the vegetables are soft.
Strain out the vegetables and reserve the stock.
Add the ginger and the vegetables to a blender and puree until completely smooth.
Return the mixture and the stock to the pan.
Add milk and stir while the soup re-heats.
Remove from heat and add the crème frachais, dill, and lemon juice.
Reheat soup but don't allow it to boil (this could cause the crème fraiche to curdle).   

 Crème fraiche is a delicious, thinner form of sour cream first developed by
the French. It has a slight hold and tanginess because it contains bacterial
cultures. But the amounts of cultures are minimal as compared to those in
sour cream. Crème fraiche can be used as a topping, in sauces, or in a
variety of other applications, and many prefer it to the standard and more
commonly available sour cream because of its creamy texture.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions
Mix together buttermilk and heavy cream. Let sit at room temperature for six
to eight hours.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.