Turnip Soup With Turnip Greens

This recipe was submitted by Kim Stroud, our neighbor at the farm from the Ojai Raptor Center and one of Rio Gozo Farm's CSA members. We love to know what you're cooking.

Turnip Soup with Turnip Greens

(from Greens cookbook)

Check out this book and others from the website Culinate

"People often think of turnip soup as bitter and thin, but this one, made with young delicate turnips , is creamy and sweet. Blanching the turnips first removes any bitterness, and the sharpness of the greens makes a delicious counterpoint to the sweetness of the turnips."

The Soup Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs small turnips (about 1-2 inches across), weighed without their greens

Salt

5 tablespoons butter, in all

2-3 leeks, white parts only (about 8 ounces), sliced

6 branches thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

4 cups milk

White or black pepper

About 2-3 cups turnip greens

Fresh chopped thyme for garnish (optional)

Directions

Peel the turnips and slice them into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil; then add 2 teaspoons salt and the turnips. Cover the pot and cook for 1 minute; then drain.

Melt 3 tbsp of the butter in a soup pot with 1/2 cup water. Add the leeks and the blanched turnips, the thyme, and 1 tsp salt. Stew them, covered, over medium low heat for 5 minutes, and then add the milk. Slowly heat it without bringing it to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turnips are completely tender. Cool the soup briefly; then purée it in a blender. If necessary, thin it with additional milk or water. Season to taste with salt, if needed, and freshly ground pepper.

Sort through the turnip greens and remove any that are bruised or especially tough looking, and wash them. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp of butter in a pan, add the turnip greens, and cook them over medium heat until they are tender, about 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the cooked greens to a cutting board and chop them, roughly or fine, as you prefer, then add them to the soup and serve. Or garnish with fresh chopped thyme.

Serves 4-6

Enjoy