1. Cook onions and celery with olive oil in a large pot until soft (about 10 minutes).
2. Add parsnips, stock and herbs. Season and gently simmer until parsnips are tender (20 minutes)
3. Remove the bay and thyme, then blend until smooth.
4. For the topping, toast walnuts in small pan (3-4 minutes), set aside. Then, in the same pan, melt the butter and stir through the dates. Toast for about 2 minutes until butter has browned and dates are caramelised.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with walnuts and dates, drizzle with brown butter and a sprinkle of chives.
Cook's Notes
For a vegan option, leave out the brown butter and caramelise the dates in olive oil
*While Medjool dates are high in natural sugars, they are low on the glycemic index thanks to a balanced amount of soluble fiber. The complex carbohydrates found in Medjool dates are digested at a slower rate, making them a source of dietary fiber and releasing energy to the body over a longer period of time.
