Cream of Potato and Turnip Soup

Cream of Potato and Turnip Soup

The warmth and comfort found in a hot bowl of cream of potato soup has staved off winter chills for generations of Canadians, and few kitchens are without a basic recipe at hand. But the use of creamed white beans in place of the standard milk and flour base found in most recipes makes this cream of potato soup a filling and nourishing meal all on its own, while adding a depth of flavor that is all the more satisfying for the addition of turnips as well.


Cream of Potato and Turnip SoupCream of Potato and Turnip Soup
Recipe by
Published on February 20, 2009

Simple, tasty and nourishing "cream" of potato and turnip soup with creamed white beans taking the place of milk or cream and flour

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours

Print this recipePrint this recipe

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup dried cannellini (white kidney) beans
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 lb (450 g) potatoes, cubed
  • 1 lb (450 g) turnips, peeled and cubed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
  • fresh ground black pepper
Instructions:
  • Rinse the beans and soak overnight covered in several inches of cold water. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan, pour in 4 cups of fresh water, and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are soft. Remove from heat, add the vegetable stock, and purée in a countertop blender or with a hand blender until smooth. Return to heat and keep at a low simmer.

  • Heat a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, wait a few moments, then swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. Toss in the onions and sauté until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and turnip, stir for a couple of minutes, then add the puréed bean broth. Raise the heat slightly and bring to a slow boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes depending on the size of your cubes. Remove from heat and season with salt and plenty of fresh ground black pepper.

  • Serve hot.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds delicious! I managed a soup for the event this month--but don't think I'll have time to post it! (Well, I'm getting closer). ;) Mine was also potato-based--so great for winter.

Anonymous said...

What an intriguing recipe! I want to try it just on merits!

Siri said...

I love the way you have used beans instead of flour Lisa. Thanks for sharing such a healthy soup.

Have a great weekend ahead.

Siri

Anonymous said...

I like the way you used the beans to thicken the soup. Yum!

I just bought Yamuna's India: The Vegetarian Table. What would you say, how different/similar is it to Lord Krishna's Cuisine? Thanks!

Lisa Turner said...

Hi Maninas;

The recipes in Lord Krishna's Cuisine are more traditional than the ones in The Vegetarian Table, but there are some spectacular recipes in there for sure. I'll be curious to hear how you like the book.

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Using pureed beans was a really good idea Lisa! lovely :)

Anonymous said...

Will keep you posted.

Hey, here's a link that I thought you might find interesting: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/series/thenewvegetarian. It's the New Vegetarian series on the Guardian website. Yotam Ottolenghi has some fantastic recipes there.

Vicci said...

Lisa, I made this a few days ago and subbed 3/4 pound of parsnips for the turnips and it was quite good. Very warming, and because this frigid weather just will not go away, I really, really need to make warming soups. :) Thank you for posting!

Dazy said...

I like soups in winter, warming nourishing and usually make my own. This one looks very thick and my kids like thick one though. It would be healthy too for them.