Salsify Soup

My mom went to the farmers market and came back with some salsify. We needed to find something to do with it so we came up with a recipe from eatlikeagirl.com that we slightly modified. Salsify is kinda like a parsnip and supposedly tastes like oysters but I didnt detect any of that. You really should try and cook the soup enough to get the salsify as soft as possible as it is a bit tough.

1 lb salsify

1 bulb of garlic

1/2 onion

1 quart of broth

1 carrot

1 potato

1/2 cup red lentils

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs of thyme

olive oil 

lemon juice

salt 

pepper

Keep the bulb of garlic in one piece and cut the top off the whole bulb. Drizzle olive oil on top and roast it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

At this point while the garlic is roasting you will want to chop your onion, carrot and potato. Saute them in the olive oil. Also create a solution of lemon juice and water. Peel and chop the salsify and put it in the solution so it doesn't turn brown. Then rinse the lentils so that when you run water through them it comes out clear.

Add the lentils, bay leaves and thyme. Then squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and add them as well. Drain the salsify and then put it in. Finally add the broth. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the salsify is tender. 

Pick out the bay leaf and thyme and then blend it smooth with a soup blender.

Drizzle olive oil on top and/or add a swirl of cream. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.