If you’ve never tasted a parsnip go out right now and buy some. They’re sweet and easy to cook and useful for an incredible number and variety of recipes. Parsnips, the vegetable that looks like a creamy-white carrot, is at its finest just after the first frost, when the starches turn to sugar. The season is now and for the next couple of months (of course you can get them all year but they’re best now).

I learned to love parsnips because my Mom always stuck one in the pot when she made chicken soup, and it gave the broth a lovely, sweetness. Fanny Farmer was less than charmed by parsnips than I am. In 1906 she wrote, “Parsnips are raised mostly as cattle food.”

Taste for yourself. Here’s a thick and hearty soup to warm you up on colder days. If you’ve never eaten a parsnip this will give you a good first taste. If you have, well, then you already know how good they are and can add this recipe to your collection.

Btw, this is a terrific first course for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Parsnip Soup with Croutons

2 slices homestyle, firm white or whole wheat bread or French bread

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1/2 teaspoon combined dried oregano and thyme (or use mixed dried herbs)

1 clove garlic, mashed

1 large yellow or Spanish onion, chopped

1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced (1/4-inch thick)

2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

5 cups vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup half and half cream, whole milk or coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Trim the crusts from the bread and cut the bread into 3/4-inch dice. Place the bread on a baking sheet and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Melt 2 tablespoons of the olive oil plus one tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the herbs and garlic, then pour this mixture over the lightly toasted croutons. Toss the bread to coat them with the herbed butter mixture. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. Heat the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and butter to the saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add the parsnips, potatoes and stock and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer the soup for about 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Puree the soup with a hand blender or in a traditional blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pan, stir in the cream and reheat. Serve the soup topped with the croutons. Makes 6 servings

One of our guests is a vegetarian also and one of my children doesn’t like turkey so we always have vegetarian options at Thanksgiving. One of our favorites is mujadarah, a bulgur wheat and lentil casserole. I always top it with lots of soft caramelized onions. It is filling and very tasty. I served it at a party recently and it was the recipe everyone wanted. You can find that recipe on my website www.ronniefein.com.

Grains in general are good substitutes for meat. You can make rice pilaf or risotto. Or roast portobello mushrooms caps and fill them with a casserole of cooked quinoa, raisins, pine nuts, peas and mint. Baked beans are fine as is Chili. Or the Couscous recipe below (which you can serve hot, reheated, warm or at room temperature).

If you combine a grain with colorful sweet potatoes, baked cranberries, a green veggie of some sort, the plate will be hearty, colorful and also festive enough for a TG celebration. I make fat-free, animal product free, sugar-free sweet potatoes that everyone loves: roast the sweet potatoes, place the pulp in a bowl and mash it with some cinnamon and grated fresh orange peel. Add salt to taste. That’s it! If you like it smoother, stir in some orange juice.

Keep looking at my website over the next few weeks for more ideas about traditional and vegetarian recipes for Thanksgiving.

You can make the fabulous soup 3 days ahead. Reheat the shells in a very slow oven (lowest temperature) for up to 30 minutes (or in a warming drawer). You just want them warm enough so they won’t chill the hot soup.

Stir Fried Couscous with Dried Apricots, Peas and Cashews

1-3/4 cups Israeli couscous

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 thick scallions, chopped

1 cup chopped dried apricots, preferably California apricots

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 10-ounce package frozen peas

1 cup cashews

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Make the couscous according to package instructions and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook for about 2 minutes or until softened. Add the apricots, cumin and cinnamon and stir to blend them in. Add the peas and cook for another minute. Add the couscous and cook, stirring to distribute the ingredients evenly, for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Add the cashews and cook, stirring to distribute them evenly, for another minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings but will serve more at a dinner with many side dishes