It’s a big seven degrees here in frigid New England. I can’t think of a better day for soup. A hearty stick to the ribs soup that tastes good and is good for you.
I named this recipe Winter White Soup because it includes mostly white fruits and veggies, but the turnip that’s also in the mix sort of makes it off white. And Winter Off White Soup just doesn’t sound as lovely. So, Winter White Soup it is!
Some people balk over turnips. If you are not a turnip lover, fret not. This won’t taste turnipy. There are so many other flavors in the mix, that it all melds together into a happy combination of flavors where it’s hard to discern exactly what’s in the soup. It just tastes good.
Leeks are perfect for soup. They add a subtle onion flavor without overpowering the dish. But make sure you clean the leeks really well before chopping them up. They are dirty little veggies and you need to rinse them well before cooking with them.
A few other tidbits about this recipe…
My recipe calls for rendered bacon fat because I think it adds a ton of good flavor. Feel free to use any fat you like. Butter and canola oil would work just fine. Avoid olive oil. It does not do well with extended periods of sauteing.
Also, you will notice that I do not puree or blend the potatoes or turnips. Rather, I mash them and add them at the end because blending high starch veggies creates a glutinous mess akin to wallpaper paste. Never process or blend potatoes in a blender. I made that mistake twenty years ago and I learned that it just doesn’t work.
For this recipe, I chose to make the soup a little chunky. But you can make it as smooth as you like. You can switch it up by using sweet potatoes which would make a gorgeous silky bowl of orange yum. Feel free to play. That’s half the fun of cooking.
- 4 Tbsp rendered bacon fat (you can also use butter or canola oil)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 2 leeks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 4 medium potatoes, baked and mashed
- 1 turnip, boiled and mashed (see notes on how to cook a turnip)
- ½ cup light cream (you can substitute with milk)
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- In a large heavy pot, heat rendered bacon fat (or other fat of your choice) over medium heat.
- Add flour and cook for several minutes. Add onion, leeks and garlic and cook for three more minutes.
- Add apple and continue cooking for three to four more minutes. Dump this mixture into a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Pour stock and water into blender. Blend until smooth. Pour back into pot.
- Add mashed potatoes and turnip. Bring soup up to a simmer and finish the soup off with light cream or milk. Be sure to taste to determine if it needs more salt and pepper. Carb dishes such as this require a decent amount of salt.
- Garnish with chopped apple, croutons, toasted nuts or even a bit of crumbled bacon.
This looks like a wonderful winter meal and as promised will go very nicely with your Loaded Bacon Cheddar Bread and I can use the rendered bacon fat from making that recipe in this soup recipe. Well done! I can’t wait to try these two together!
Thank you. It’s comfort food at its best.
I LOVE leeks in soup. This soup looks fantastic. I have never tried a turnip in a soup, but I bet it adds so much! And paired with your bacon bread…heaven! I am making a simple cauliflower soup today too.
Mmmmmm cauliflower soup is yummy. I think I need to make a batch of that and another loaf of bread. It’s a good thing I have teen boys. They don’t give me much of a chance to over indulge because they hoover everything down as soon as I make it!
This looks like something we might try…even though we’re a little warmer (a balmy 40-50 degrees). I’ve never used leeks in anything, but I’m not sure why? I also can’t tell you how many times I’ve ended up with pasty potatoes :p
Lol, I remember pasty potatoes. Impossible to fix. I think we all made that mistake in our early cooking days!
Interesting that you added apple into your soup. What sort of flavour would that add to this?
It adds a tiny touch of sweet, but not a lot. I really like the crunch of the fresh apples on top though. The different texture is nice.
What kind of apple(s) would you recommend for this recipe?
Gala or Granny Smith would be my choice.