It is helpful to have an immersion blender, food processor, or conventional blender if you want to puree this soup. If you have none of these appliances, you can still make cream of turnip soup by using a potato masher to partially crush the vegetables. Or you can leave everything whole. The soup will still taste good.

Start with the vegetable prep:

Peel and chop the onion. Crush the garlic cloves.

If your turnips come with the greens, and they’re in good shape, cut them off and save them for another dish.

If your turnips are organic and their skins are thin, scrub them well and trim any bad spots. Cut into pieces.

If your turnips are older baseballs, peel and cut into pieces.

Peel and chunk the potatoes.

If your carrots are organic, just scrub them. If not, peel. Either way, cut into chunks.

In 8 quart/8L soup pot or comparable cooking vessel, melt a generous 2-3 tablespoons butter with a pour of olive oil over medium low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion, garlic, and carrot to the pan. Lower the heat a bit and allow the vegetables to simmer without browning for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the turnips, give everything a good stir, and cook a few minutes more. This part of the process gives you a better soup. I learned this from Diana Henry, who knows more about cooking than I ever will.

Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and chicken broth (or whatever liquid you are using). Stir. The vegetables should be just covered; use your judgement. You can add more of whatever liquid you cooking with if you feel it necessary, or just add water.

Taste for seasoning before adding in your pork product, if using–you can’t taste the soup again until the pork is cooked.

Add your pork product now, if using.

Add brandy and hot pepper now, if using.

Bring soup up to a low simmer and keep it there, stirring now and then. Depending on your vegetables and your stove, cooking time will range from 60-90 minutes. If you wish, you can also turn the heat down, or put the pan on a flame tamer, and leave it to simmer all morning, or all afternoon, provided you check on it. I have warned you: do not burn your house down, or anyone else’s. The world is mess enough as it is.

The soup is ready when the vegetables are soft enough to crush easily with the side of a fork and the pork is cooked.

To add the cream and puree:

Remove pork to a bowl.

Remove soup from heat.

I use an immersion blender, and due to limited electrical outlets, must move the pan across the kitchen. CAREFULLY place the immersion blender in the soup pan, or pour slowly into the processor or blender.

Do not turn it on the immersion blender or off unless the blender stick is in the pot. I have done this. Learn from my mistakes.

I never blend soups in my processor, because I frankly don’t trust it to not to leak. I had a blender, but gave it away, as I never used it, and it took up space I don’t have.

Return the pureed soup to low heat.

If the pork has cooled enough to handle, shred or cut it up and place the meat in the soup pot.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with some or none of the following:

Thinly sliced ham

thinly sliced green onion

Serve Cream of Turnip Soup with a green salad, the Cheddar Cheese scones from last week’s post, crusty bread, or just by itself.

Cream of Turnip soup will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for three days. Beyond that, either reheat it to almost boiling before refrigerating again, or, ideally, freeze it up to three months.

Notes:

Turnips are by nature watery. If you want a thicker soup, add another potato.

Any allium will work here: shallots, small red onions, yellow onions, a leek.

If an entire cup of cream makes you shudder, 3/4 of a cup will suffice. Milk is fine, too, as is buttermilk. Yogurt will work, but to avoid splitting, pour off some soup into another bowl, allow it to cool, and stir the yogurt into this cooled soup. Pour this back into the pot.

In the United States, turnips are sold in markets both bunched, with greens, and loose, in bins, without their greens. The loose turnips, at least where I live, tend to be larger, older, and sharper tasting. If you want to use the greens in the soup, feel free. I wanted to, but the greens were past their prime and I could not.