Winter Vegetable Soup With Turnips, Carrots, Potatoes and Leeks

By Martha Rose Shulman

Winter Vegetable Soup With Turnips, Carrots, Potatoes and Leeks
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(2,438)
Comments
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I use the food mill instead of a blender — immersion or regular — because I love the texture of the soup when it’s put through the mill’s coarse blade, resulting in a flavorful, colorful mixture that you can almost chew on. But you can use a blender to purée the soup. The texture will be coarsest — which is what you want — if you use an immersion blender.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 3large leeks (1 to 1½ pounds), white parts only, cleaned and sliced ½ inch thick
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 3large carrots (10 ounces), diced
  • 1celery stalk, diced
  • 1large or 2 medium turnips (10 ounces), peeled and diced
  • 1pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a few sprigs each thyme and parsley
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ¼cup crème fraîche, more to taste
  • Chopped fresh parsley or tarragon, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

138 calories; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 665 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the leeks, garlic, carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, bouquet garni, 1½ quarts water, 2 to 3 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.

  2. Step 2

    Pass the soup through the coarse blade of a food mill (or purée using a blender or an immersion blender).

  3. Step 3

    Return soup to the pot and whisk in ¼ cup crème fraîche (or more, to taste). Heat through, taste and adjust seasonings (be generous with salt and pepper). To serve, garnish each bowl with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of parsley or tarragon.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,438 user ratings
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Comments

Theresa SF Bay Area

Really good and satisfying. If the now-banned Oxford comma appeared after "2 to 3 teaspoons salt" I believe it would be clearer. It would read "2 to 3 tablespoons salt, and pepper to taste."

EJC

I've made a similar soup all my life since my Scots grandmother taught it to me. Her trick (besides no garlic, more celery and fewer potatoes) was to use her potato masher when all the vegetables were tender. It gives the soup a great rustic hearty texture. It is also much more fun to bash away with Grandma's masher than use a food mill or blender.

Passion for Peaches

Tweaked a bit, was fabulous. Sautéed all veg, sequentially, in olive oil and pat of butter, so leeks got golden. (I think soup needs that taste dimension.) Added parsnips, used more celery and carrot. Bouquet fresh from garden: two bay leaves, sprigs winter savory, French tarragon, Italian parsley. Immersion blended, to rough texture (about the texture of porridge). Soup thick and fibrous, in a good way. Added tsp. Sherry vinegar (before creme fraiche) for brightness. Served w/ plain focaccia.

penny

Tweaked it a bit: made it in the Instant Pot. Browned the butter then added onions until soft, used yellow/gold potatoes instead of russet, then continued with the directions, removed the bouquet garni, added fresh rosemary/thyme, used immersion blender but forgot the crème fraîche. Truly enjoyed by all and thank you!

Lynn

Threw in a Parmesan rind and had to regrets, 12/10 recommend doing that. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Absolutely delicious and complex soup. Not sure if it was the Parmesan add, but I can’t understand other reviewers who said this soup lacked flavor. Maybe also has to do with the quality of the veggies? I got all mine at the farmers market, everything in season. Perfect for a November night!

Pipkin

Is this soup as good the next day?

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