I am writing this in late February and the first signs of spring are appearing, with snowdrops and daffodils in bloom and the crazy climate in Georgia giving us the occasional unseasonably warm day when the patios fill up at local bars and folks break out their shorts and t-shirts for a day or two before it reverts back to being cold and damp.
At the local farmers markets the produce scene is still dominated by winter greens and root vegetables and will be like that for quite a few weeks more.
I’m not complaining. The vegetables on offer at the moment lend themselves to hearty soups and stews that are welcome when the temperature dips and the rain is falling.
The goodies on offer at the moment include snowy white hakurei turnips, which are smaller and more delicately flavoured than the larger, more commonly found purple topped turnips. Thinly sliced, Hakurei turnips can even be eaten raw in salads.
I find they make a good base for a soup, providing richness and thickness which you can then enhance with other seasonings and flavours. They work particularly well with fennel or thyme, and to dial up the richness a little more you can add cream or cheese. A couple of parmesan rinds thrown in to soften and melt as the soup simmers is also a good idea.
This time I opted for blue cheese, which added a nice salty tang and depth to the mild earthiness of the turnips.
Turnip & Blue Cheese Soup
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbs olive oil
1lb white turnips, cut into 1/2″ dice
6oz blue cheese, crumbled (Stilton is a good choice but other blues also work well)
32 fl.oz. (4 cups) vegetable stock
Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and soften for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the turnips and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the vegetable stock, and increase the heat to medium high.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the turnips are tender, around 20 minutes.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and then blend to a creamy and smooth consistency in a blender or food processor, or using a stick blender.
Return to the pan and heat over medium heat, adding the crumbled blue cheese.
Cook until the blue cheese melts.
Check for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
