Parsnip and curry apple soup

Jennifer and Will came for dinner a few weekends ago. I made this parsnip soup, salad and Flammkuchen - Michael made his pumpkin  crème brûlée. Michael got a lot of attention from the animals that afternoon while dicing the speck:

and this is what the table setting looked like:

Finally, here is the photo and recipe of the delicious parsnip and curry apple soup, which I am planning to make for the international group's Thanksgiving dinner this year:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 cups chopped peeled parsnip (about 2 pounds)
3 cups chopped peeled Fuji apple (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 garlic cloves
3 cups stock
2 cups water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt


Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add parsnip and next 9 ingredients (through garlic); sauté 8 minutes. Add stock, 2 cups water, and vinegar; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until parsnips are tender. Remove from heat; uncover. Let mixture stand 10 minutes.
Blend until smooth with a stick/immersion blender. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt.

Spiced creamed parsnip soup with sherry

Ingredients
115 g/4 oz/ 1/2 cup butter
2 small or 1 large onion, sliced
1 kg/2 1/4 lb. parsnip peeled and chopped into 1 in cubes
10 ml/2 tsp curry powder
30 ml/2 tbsp medium sherry
1.2 litres/2 pints/ 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
plain yogurt, to serve

Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion and sweat gently without allowing to burn. Add the chopped parsnip, coat with the butter and stir in the curry. Add sherry and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes or until the parsnips are softened, making sure they do not color.
Add the stock  and season to taste. Bring to a boil then simmer for about 15 minutes  or until the parsnips are soft. Remove from the heat, pure with a stick/immersion blender. Serve with a swirl of yogurt.