TURNIP AND TURNIP GREENS SOUP

From Troy MacLarty, Chef, Lovely Hula Hands
4057 N. Mississippi Ave., Portland, OR 97227

Makes 3 quarts

1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 leeks, white and light green part only, washed and sliced thinly
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
3 cups small white turnips, cleaned and sliced
1 small russet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
4 parsley stems
3 bay leaves
4 thyme branches
1 cup chopped turnip greens
Olive oil as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Slowly cook onions and leeks in olive oil in a covered pan, seasoning with salt and pepper, until they are soft and broken down completely. This technique, known as “sweating,” creates depth and richness in the finished soup. Add chicken stock, water, turnips, and potato.

2. Make a sachet by wrapping parsley, bay leaves, and thyme in cheesecloth and tying with butcher’s twine. Add sachet to soup and bring to a simmer.

3. While the soup is cooking, sauté turnip greens in olive oil until tender. Season with salt and set aside to cool.

4. Remove and discard sachet once potatoes and turnips are tender. Puree soup in blender and pass through a mesh strainer. (Be careful with hot soup: only fill blender 1/3 full and start on a slow speed.) Adjust seasoning of finished soup with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust consistency of soup with water to your liking.

5. To the blender, add 1 cup soup and turnip greens. Puree until smooth.

6. Serve soup immediately with white soup as base and green soup swirled on top as garnish. If serving soup later, chill the pureed greens quickly over an ice cold water bath or they will lose their bright color.