Cream of Parsnip Soup

It's velvety parsnips and potatoes that make this soup 'creamy', not anything dairy-based.

Melt a teaspoon and a half of vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, and 1/2 pound peeled and sliced parsnip; saute for 10 minutes.

Stir in 2 tablespoons dry white wine (I chose an organic Sancerre), and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits from cooking.

Add 1 cup water, 1/4 tsp. salt, just a dash of black pepper, 14-ounces vegetable broth, 1/2 pound peeled and cubed baking potato, and 1 bay leaf; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf, then process the rest of the mixture in a blender until smooth (work in two batches if you need to). Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the pureed soup.

Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 3 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon vegan sour cream (such as Tofutti's Better than Sour Cream), and 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley. Each serving is 170 calories.

Cost:
dry white wine $23.99
vegetable broth $2.39
baking potato $0.62