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Turnip and Turnip Greens Soup

From the book Fresh from the Farmers’ Market by Janet Fletcher

Serves	6
Prep Time	15 minutes
Cook Time	40 minutes
Total Time	1 hour

Introduction

At my local supermarket, the turnips are always neatly scrubbed, trimmed, and displayed, but the corresponding turnip greens are nowhere to be found. I suspect they are removed, either by the packer or by the store, because they have passed their prime. At the farmers’ market, you are more likely to find turnips with greens attached. The sprightly tops are your guarantee that the roots were recently harvested. Besides their role as a freshness indicator, the greens make a nutritious soup when puréed with the cooked roots and a little rice for body. This recipe was inspired by one from Chez Panisse that appeared in Food & Wine magazine.

Ingredients

	2	Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for garnish
	1	yellow onion, finely chopped
	2	cloves garlic, minced
	1½	lb. turnips, peeled and diced
	½	cup arborio rice
	~	Salt and freshly ground black pepper
	6	cups homemade chicken broth, or 3 cups canned low-sodium broth mixed with 3 cups water
	½	lb. turnip greens (the leaves attached to the turnips), stemmed and sliced into ribbons
	1½	Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Steps

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large pot over moderately low heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute to release its fragrance. Add the turnips and rice, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat with seasonings. Add 3 cups broth, bring to a simmer, then cover and adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
Stir in the turnip greens, cover, and summer until turnips, greens, and rice are soft, about 5 more minutes. Stir in dill.
Transfer to a food processor or blender, in batches if necessary, and blend until smooth. (You can also use an immersion blender.) Return to the pot and stir in the remaining broth to achieve a souplike consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Reheat and serve in warm bowls, garnishing each portion with a thin sliver of butter.

Notes

Culinate editor’s note: You can also thicken the soup by adding a few small diced potatoes when you add the turnips.

This content is from the book Fresh from the Farmers’ Market by Janet Fletcher.

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