Nutmeg and a hint of cardamom bring out the sweetness in the underappreciated turnip. Sometimes I make my own vegetable stock, but usually I just buy a good-quality, low-salt vegetable stock such as Pacific brand.
Ingredients
3 medium purple-topped turnips (about 1 1/4 pounds) trimmed, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium Yukon gold potato (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 quart vegetable stock or broth
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half and half (optional)*
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (plus more for garnish)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the turnips and potato in a large saucepan and cover with 1 cup of the vegetable stock. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce and simmer/steam, covered, until the turnips and potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. Process in a food processor or blender (carefully) or use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Return to the pot; add vegetable stock to reach desired consistency. (If the soup is still too thick, add water.) Stir in the cream if using. Add the cardamom and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of nutmeg.
*The cream isn’t essential, but it does help meld the flavors and improve the texture of the soup.
Makes 6 1-cup servings. Preparation time: 10 minutes. Total time: 35 minutes
