Parsnip & Apple Soup

This soup is part of my ongoing effort to enlarge my vegetable recipe repertoire (and my personal vegetable palate!)...I thought the inclusion of apples in this parsnip soup would add a little sweetness and a spring-like freshness. Happy Spring!

Ingredients:
1 C apple cider 
½ C half-and-half
3 C chicken broth
1 lb parsnips (3-5 depending on size)
2 leeks
2 shallots
3 Fuji (or similar) apples 
½ tsp salt 
¼ tsp white pepper
optional garnish: crème fraîche and chopped chives

Directions:
Peel and roughly chop parsnips and shallots. Roughly chop the white parts of the leeks. Peel, core and roughly chop apples.

Pour cider, half-and-half and broth into large saucepan; cover and bring to boil. Add vegetables and apples. Cook until tender (about 20-25 minutes--parsnips take the longest, so test a large chunk of parsnip for tenderness).

Purée soup with salt and pepper until very smooth. (Black pepper will flavor the soup fine, but it won't preserve the pure color of the parsnip-apple-shallot base.) Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche and chopped chives.