This soup recipe is simple, nourishing, and quite versatile. If you cannot find rutabaga, you can substitute a combination of turnips or celery root and potatoes, and follow the same directions for the recipe. Just be sure to peel the vegetables to achieve a velvety texture. Serve this with your favorite bread and a big salad for a nice lunch or easy supper.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter or oil
- 1 large onion thinly sliced
- 2.5 pounds of rutabagas, peeled and sliced into evenly sized pieces
- 8 sprigs of thyme, 8 parsley stems, and 2 bay leaves, wrapped in a tight bundle with twine
- 1 lemon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, add butter or oil, onions, a few pinches of salt, and a ½ cup of water, and cook on low-medium heat, stirring regularly until the onions are translucent.
Add the sliced rutabagas, the herb bundle, a few healthy pinches of salt, and enough water to fully submerge the vegetables and stir. After a couple minutes, taste the soup liquid, and add more salt if needed. Cook until the rutabaga is completely tender, stirring occasionally.
Let the soup cool a bit before blending (in batches if needed). To give the soup a more velvety texture, pour the contents of the blender through the largest sieve you have, pausing to push the soup through with the bottom of a ladle as needed. Discard anything that won't go through the strainer.
Adjust the thickness of the soup to your liking by adding some hot water. Once you have the desired thickness, taste again for salt. If you’re not sure if it can take more salt, take a spoonful of soup and add a few grains of salt to it to test. With the right amount of salt, the soup’s flavor should “hum” in your mouth for several seconds after you swallow.
Serve in bowls with a squeeze of lemon on top to counter the sweetness of the rutabaga and onion, and garnish with a bit of olive oil and black pepper, if desired.
This soup will store in the fridge for about a week, and freezes well. If reheating, you’ll want to thin the soup a bit, as it will have tightened up in the cold.