Cabbage and Turnip Soup

 

One of the soups I’ve enjoyed returning to over the years is this Creamy Cabbage and Potato Soup, originally adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special. I like the way I made it in the post, but I also varied it depending on what was on hand, especially when it came to the type of onion, the source of the creaminess, and the broth. What I put together recently was a decidedly different soup that still was extremely satisfying in an earthy kind of way.

It’s hard to characterize potatoes and cabbage as especially flavorful vegetables, but when I decided to add some turnips, it was more out of a need to use them than a way to enhance the flavor of the soup. For me, turnips don’t so much represent an absence of flavor as a flavor vacuum, one that can render other ingredients around it flavorless as well. That being said, it’s also hard to argue that turnips don’t mingle really well with other humble ingredients. Like cabbage and potatoes, for instance.

 

I really did enjoy the subtle bitterness of the added turnips here. They seemed to increase the cabbage flavor of the soup, lending a hand for once, rather than just sucking flavor away. It didn’t hurt that I based this version of the soup on beef broth, which brought more flavor of its own, and the garlic and caraway were great team players as well.

Rounding everything out with a generous swirl of sour cream, plenty of black pepper, and a good handful of nutty cheese (I used Comte, but Gruyere, a milder Swiss, or even cheddar cheese would be good) brought this possibly bordering on dull soup to delicious, creamy, sharp heights. The soup is pureed and the resulting thick and creamy bowlful is even better with an additional dollop of sour cream and more shredded cheese.

This version of a pureed cabbage and potato soup is still quite humble, but it’s totally delicious and hearty enough to be satisfying in the dead of winter, let alone these cool and dreary early spring days. I’m thinking that a brothy version with the veggies left whole, featuring young turnips and spring peas might be my next variation. It’s looking like the warm spring weather with its more delicate green ingredients may be a long time coming. Soup can warm us until then.

Cabbage and Turnip Soup with Beef Broth

This soup is great accompanied by Dark Rye Bread, Beer and Onion Rye Bread, or Rye Soda Bread

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups finely chopped onion

½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

4 cups chopped green cabbage

2 cups chopped peeled turnip

2 cups chopped peeled potato

4 cups beef broth

½ c sour cream, plus additional for serving

1 cup shredded Gruyere or Comte cheese, plus additional for serving

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Saute briskly until the onions are tender, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and caraway seeds. Cook and stir about 1 minute.

2. Add the cabbage, turnip, potato, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage has wilted.

3. Pour in the beef broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low to low so that the mixture is simmering gently. Cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 30-45.  Stir occasionally and add some water if the mixture seems too dry.

4. Remove the pot from the heat and cool slightly. Puree the soup in a blender in batches until it is all very smooth. (You can use an immersion blender, but I find that the cabbage is still very fibrous if I do.) Add more water or broth if the soup is too thick.

5. Return the soup to low heat. Add the sour cream, cheese, and black pepper, stirring until the cheese melts. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper as needed. Serve with an additional dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of cheese if desired.

Makes about 8 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Creamy Cabbage and Potato Soup, Celeriac, Potato and Wild Rice Soup, Curry Carrot Soup, Potato and Garlic Scape Soup with Chives

One year ago: Chocolate Cookie Butter