One of my son’s first tastes of solid food was dirt licked from a freshly dug parsnip. He didn’t yet have the teeth to chew into the ivory taproot itself, but his attempts to do so sure got it clean. It was wintertime in New Mexico, and his first winter anywhere. We were visiting a…

Parsnips may be the paler, lesser-known cousin of the carrot, but they really deserve their day in the limelight. This humble root vegetable, related to both the carrot and parsley, is mild and sweet with a bit of the tang and bite that you would associate with parsley. Simply treat them as you would potatoes…

Think of this as a classic leek and potato soup—only so much better. Parsnips add a deep, sweet roasted flavor, pairing beautifully with the creamy potatoes and caramelized leeks. I love this soup when it’s smooth and velvety, garnished with—my new obsession—roasted tomato-flavored pearls, but I’ve also served it chunky and rustic with croutons for…