Creamy Vegan Parsnip & Coconut With Confit Grapefruit

From Elliot Beier & Kyra Termini

Makes 60 servings

Really just the perfect amount of spice here — and probably the first appearance of confit grapefruit at Soup & Bread. We’ve seen a lot over the years, but that was a new one.

Ingredients
6 pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
9 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound potatoes, peeled, 1/2 inch pieces
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
9 tablespoons olive oil
5 shallots, diced
9 stalks celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, mince
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3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3/4 – 1 pound dried mushrooms
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 cups mushroom stock
4-1/2 cups coconut milk
8 ounces basil (lemon or thai varieties encouraged), blanched, chiffonade
6 grapefruit, supremes while saving the peel
turmeric or galangal optional

Preparation
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Place the parsnips and carrots into a mixing bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat the vegetables with oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables evenly over a baking sheet.

Roast in the preheated oven until the parsnips are tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the shallot and celery. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened and the onion is beginning to turn golden brown, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the coconut oil, garlic, brown sugar, mushrooms, and the roasted parsnips and carrots. Continue to cook and stir until all of the vegetables are very tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Season with the ginger, cardamom, optional tumeric or galangal, and cayenne pepper; stir for 1 minute. Pour in the mushroom stock, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer gently until all of the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.

Use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot, or in a separate bowl

Stir in the coconut milk and basil Return to a simmer over medium-low heat. Stir in seared grapefruit supremes after removing from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving. Top with candied grapefruit peel.

Bonus: links to how to cut supremes, and how to candy citrus peel:

http://www.saveur.com/article/techniques/how-to-supreme-citrus

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/18999/candied-citrus-peel/