Creamy Turnip Potato Soup

Creamy Turnip Potato Soup is turnip roots, Yukon Gold potatoes, sweet onions, garlic, and herbs stewed in butter with added chicken stock and served with a light grating of fresh nutmeg.

Turnips have edible leaves and roots.   They’re a winter crop grown throughout the South.  The leaves are more tender than collards and have a milder flavor.  Cooking the roots and leaves together is common and was the practice of my grandmother.   She would separate the roots and greens after they cooked and each got their own serving bowl.  She sat the bowl with the roots in front of me  so I could get my “bait” of turnip roots.  I’ve always loved them.  And her.

Browsing one of my favorite cookbooks a few years back, The Gift of Southern Cooking, written by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock, I notice a recipe for Silken Turnip Soup.  At first, the recipe didn’t catch my attention.   While I loved turnip roots, I just couldn’t imagine them in soup.  Sometime later, I stopped on the recipe’s page long enough to read the head note which explained that this soup is so favored by the authors that they make it for Thanksgiving Dinner.  Now, that’s an endorsement.  Anything that makes it to a Thanksgiving menu is special.  I was intrigued and very quickly gathered the ingredients to make the soup.  I’m fortunate that my enlightenment occurred during  turnip season.

My family and I  loved this soup so much it  became a permanent fixture on our Thanksgiving menu.  It’s so creamy you’d think cream was added.  The combination of turnips, Yukon Gold potatoes and onions creates a palate-pleasing flavor.  Don’t make the same mistake I made by snubbing this recipe.  This is a most delicious way to get your “bait” of turnips.  Think about serving a Grinder Sandwich along side for a complete meal.

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Directions for Creamy Turnip Potato Soup

1.Melt butter in large pan or stockpot.

2.Tie herbs into a bundle with kitchen twine. Add to pot with butter.

3.Add turnips, potatoes, onion, and garlic.  Stir to coat everything with butter.  Sprinkle with salt.

4.Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5.Remove cover, add chicken stock and stir.

6.Return cover and cook on medium low heat for about 20 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.

7.Remove cover and take out herbs.

8.Puree.  Taste for seasoning.

9.Serve in a cup or bowl with a light grating of fresh nutmeg.

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5 from 6 votes

Creamy Turnip and Potato Soup

Creamy Turnip Potato Soup is turnip roots, Yukon Gold potatoes, sweet onions, garlic, and herbs stewed in butter with added chicken stock and served with a light grating of fresh nutmeg.

yield: approx. 1 1/2 quarts

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American South

Keyword: creamy turnip potato soup

Servings: 6

Author: Jackie Garvin

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter unsalted
• a few twigs of fresh thyme and sage
• 6 medium purple top turnips peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium sweet onion peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart chicken stock homemade or good quality commercially prepared
• dash of grated nutmeg

Instructions

• Melt butter in large pan or stockpot.
• Tie herbs into a bundle with kitchen twine. Add to pot with butter.
• Add turnips, potatoes, onion, and garlic.  Stir to coat everything with butter.  Sprinkle with salt.
• Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove cover, add chicken stock and stir.
• Return cover and cook on medium low heat for about 20 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.
• Remove cover and take out herbs.
• Puree.  Taste for seasoning.
• Serve in a cup or bowl with a light grating of fresh nutmeg.

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Adapted from The Gift of Southern Cooking

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