White Turnip Soup
Submitted by 7660
White turnip soup pureed smooth with bread for body, finished with egg yolks and cream for a velvety French-style potage. A humble root vegetable transformed into an elegant first course.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minWhite turnips sautéed with onions, simmered with broken French bread until tender, pureed smooth, then enriched with egg yolks and cream. This is classic French potage technique: humble root vegetables turned into something silky and refined.
The bread is the thickener. Five slices of French bread broken into the simmering water dissolve during cooking, giving the soup body without flour or potato. It’s an old European trick that produces a smoother, lighter consistency than starch-based thickeners.
Puree the cooled soup in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Any fibrous turnip bits left behind ruin the velvet texture. Strain through a sieve if your blender leaves chunks.
The egg yolk and cream enrichment goes in at the very end, off the boil. Reheat gently while stirring constantly. The yolks thicken the soup into something closer to a cream sauce than a broth, but boiling will curdle them into scrambled egg bits.
Chef Tips
- Use white turnips, not rutabaga. White turnips are milder and sweeter. Rutabaga adds a stronger, more cabbage-like flavor.
- Cool the soup before blending. Hot liquid in a sealed blender builds pressure and can blow the lid off.
- Season after pureeing. The blending concentrates flavors and you may need less salt than you think.
- Garnish with fresh parsley or chopped chives for a pop of green color against the pale soup.
Variations
- Turnip and apple: Add 1 peeled, chopped apple to the turnips during simmering for a sweeter, more autumnal version.
- Roasted turnip soup: Roast the turnips first at high heat until caramelized, then proceed with the recipe for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
- Lighter version: Replace the cream and egg yolks with a swirl of crème fraîche for a tangier, less rich finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt butter in a medium kettle and add chopped turnips and onions.
Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.
Stir frequently.
Bring 6 to 8 cups water to the boil--the amount depending on how much soup you wish to make, as well as its desired strength.
Pour the boiling water into the turnip/onion mixture.
Break the bread slices into the kettle.
Heat the soup to the boil; reduce heat and simmer for aout 15 minutes or until turnips are tender when pierced with a fork.
Set the soup aside to cool.
Season with salt, if desired, and pepper.
When the soup has cooled sufficiently, pour into a food processor or blender or press through a sieve with a wooden spoon.
Before serving, reheat the soup, but do not boil, and add the egg yolks beaten with the cream.
Stir constantly until the mixture is blended and creamy.
Check seasoning.
Serve in heated soup bowls and garnish with parsley or chives.
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