Apple Soup with Rosemary Peanuts and Hickory-Brown Butter

steps

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking until parsnips are fork-tender. Remove from heat.
2. Remove vanilla bean and rosemary sprigs (try to remove rosemary leaves as well).
3. Transfer to blender or food processor and add 1 tablespoon salt. Blend on high until smooth.
4. While blending, incorporate butter slowly, a few pieces at a time. Taste and adjust seasoning. Note: Also adjust consistency with apple cider, cream, or water, if thinner soup is desired. Fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar may also be added to brighten the soup.
5. Pass soup through fine-mesh strainer and serve with Rosemary Peanuts and Hickory-Brown Butter.
6.  To serve, reheat soup and adjust seasoning and consistency as necessary. Pour into bowls, garnish with Rosemary Peanuts, and spoon in a swirl of Hickory-Brown butter.

Rosemary Peanuts

1. Add butter to sauté pan over medium-high heat.
2. Cook until butter is deep amber in color and has nutty aroma (careful—it goes from dark brown to burned very fast).
3. Pour butter through fine-mesh strainer lined with coffee filter.
4. Place half the brown butter (about ¾ cup) into clean sauté pan with peanuts and place over medium heat. Swirl peanuts in pan constantly to toast.
5. Once peanuts are golden brown, toss in rosemary and swirl pan (they only take about 10 seconds to cook, so be careful as they may pop in the hot fat). Remove peanuts and rosemary from pan and cool on a paper-towel-lined plate.

Hickory-Brown Butter

1. Brown butter in sauté pan (per Rosemary Peanut recipe) and allow to cool.
2. Combine all ingredients in small saucepot over low heat, stirring occasionally.

*Hickory syrup can be easily found and purchased on the Internet.