Two soups - Turnip and Cannelini Bean plus a Borscht of sorts

This year we have had a great crop of turnips.

I like them but they are not my favourite vegetable.

Their bitter after taste creates a love hate relationship and can make them difficult to partner.
Consequently I decided to try making a soup.

I started the soup with sweated onion for sweetness, followed by garlic, 

then rosemary which enhances and compliments.

Turnip is a very wet vegetable so less liquid is required

and instead of the obvious potato to thicken and stabilise I chose white beans.

The result is thick, mellow and creamy
with a backgound turnip undertone.
Scrummy!

Turnip and Cannelini bean soup
Serves 4

100g dried cannelini beans or 1 tin of pre-cooked

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
1 large garlic clove finely chopped or grated
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
400g peeled turnip diced
500 ml vegetable stock

• start the day before by soaking the dried beans overnight

• drain the beans and add 1 litre of fresh water
• bring to the boil, cook hard for 10 minutes then reduce and simmer for at least 1 hour until tender
• meanwhile prepare the vegetables

• heat the oil and add the onion, sweat on a low heat with a lid on until translucent and soft but not browned
• add the garlic and rosemary if using and cook for a few more minutes
• drop in the diced turnip and pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes
• add the beans and bring back the boil
• take off the heat and blitz until smooth
• season to taste

*

Meanwhile we are also very good at growing beetroot.

I absolutely love it.

Since having our allotment we have become much more creative with it
rather than the pickled variety I grew up with.

beetroot and ricotta tarts

roasted beet and chicory salad

beetroot chocolate cake

I also love beetroot and goats cheese risotto or ravioli.
Raw in a slaw.
Roast with carrot, parsnip, whole garlic cloves and shallots drizzled with lemon and honey ...
Sublime with roast lamb or on a bed of puy lentils.

rosti ... top with salmon or a fried egg

Or a soup.
Which came about because of what I had in at the time.
Here is a Borscht of sorts!

Beetroot soup (based on Borscht)

Serves 4-5

25g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion very finely chopped

350g beetroot (peeled weight) finely diced

1 large leek finely sliced

1 bay leaf (optional)

2 medium potatoes peeled and finely diced

4 garlic cloves finely chopped or grated

1 litre of beef stock (veg is fine)

1 sprout top or 1/4 cabbage finely shredded

few tablespoons of natural yoghurt, creme fraiche or sour cream (optional)

• heat the oil and butter 
• add the onion, low heat, cover with a lid and sweat until translucent (approx 15 mins)
• tip in the beetroot, leek, bayleaf (if using) a litle salt and pepper and sweat on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally 
• next go in the potatoes, garlic and stock, simmer for 15-20 mins until beetroot and potato tender
• remove approx 1/4 and puree until smooth, return to the pan
• lastly goes in the sprout top or cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes

The soup is super delicious.

Rich, sweet and earthy.

Yum!