Turnip and Leek Soup Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #eatseasonal #soup #vegan #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree

Turnip and Leek Soup

Written by Becky

A few years back a dear friend made me a potato and leek soup that I’ll forever keep in my recipe rotation.  This Turnip and Leek soup is a simple riff on her original. And with only a few ingredients its an easy one to adopt into the family repretoir.

Turnip and Leek Soup Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #eatseasonal #soup #vegan #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree    Turnip and Leek Soup Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #eatseasonal #soup #vegan #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree

The turnip inspiration for this soup came from a recent meal I had up at a Solitude Ski Resort in a yurt. If you’ve never been inside a yurt before let me just tell you it’s quite an adventure.  A yurt is a circular tent with wooden beams and is commonly used in Mongolia. Right here just a few miles up the canyon Solitude has its very own yurt.  To get to our dinner we had to fasten our boots into some snowshoes for a little trek up the mountain. Headlamps lead our way to the tent where the chef was preparing the meal on site.

Turnip and Leek Soup Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #eatseasonal #soup #vegan #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree

Our first course was a soup as white as the snow we had just treaded through. The soup was perfectly creamy, yet cream-less, like this one, and full of flavor and warmth.  I’ve since then made a few versions of it, one with parsnips and another with turnips.  The two differ in flavor slightly, parsnips adding a sweetness while the turnips add an almost horseradish like flavor. My husband loved the latter so I went with it!  Feel free to change this recipe up by using any of the three- potatoes, turnips, or parsnips.

Turnip and Leek Soup Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #eatseasonal #soup #vegan #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree

Along with adventures in the snow, winter brings with it a lot of unusual and often unused fruits and vegetables. I challenge you to try out something new this season.  Here’s a great list of recipes to adventure with!

January Seasonal Recipes • theVintageMixer.com #eatseasonal #seasonalrecipe

Healthy Tangerine Julius Smoothie by Letty’s Kitchen

Leek and Turnip Soup by Vintage Mixer

Apple Almond Bircher Meusli with Winter Fruits by Simple Bites

Olive Oil Cornmeal Cake with Grapefruit and Fennel by Floating Kitchen

Saucy Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Curry and Mint by Healthy Seasonal Recipes

Garlic and Herb Spaghetti Squash Boats by She Likes Food

Peanut Butter Crusted Sweet Potato Fries by JoyFoodSunshine

Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad with Harissa Vinaigrette by Project Domestication

Winter Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Cranberry-Mustard Sauce Cafe Johnsonia

Meyer Lemon Coconut Panna Cotta by Kitchen Confidante

Maple Orange Teriyaki Salmon Bowls by Flavor the Moments

For the full Seasonal Recipe Guide visit this post.

Turnip and Leek Soup Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #eatseasonal #soup #vegan #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree

Leek and Turnip Soup Recipe

Change up your potato and leek soup routine and try turnips instead of potatoes for a flavorful seasonal soup.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, vegan, vegetarian
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 3 medium leeks, washed and sliced thin (using just the white and light green parts)
  • 3 lbs 24 ounces turnips, peeled and cubed
  • water
  • salt and pepper to taste, 1.5-2 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cut off the dark green parts of the leeks then slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse the layers under cold water to remove any dirt. Slice thin and set aside about 1/4 cup (for a topping)
  • Heat a stock pot over medium high heat and add the butter or oil. Add the sliced leeks and sauté for 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add in the turnips and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes. Add enough water to cover over all of the turnips. Cook for 25 minutes or until turnips are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Puree using an immersion blender or let cool then puree in a standing blender. Taste and add additional seasoning to your preference.
  • Serve warm with toasted bread, herb oil, chives, or crispy fried leeks.

Notes

parsnips or yukon gold potatoes may be used instead of turnips.

For the toppings, I heated a tablespoon of canola oil up in a small saucepan over hot heat.  Once really hot (test with a drop of water to see if it sizzles) I add in the extra 1/4 cup of leeks.  Toast the leeks in the oil for 30 seconds then stir or flip and continue to cook for 30 more seconds or until starting to brown. Use a fork to remove the leeks from the hot oil onto a paper towel.  Use the same pan and same oil to toast up some cubes of bread for croutons.  Add the bread to the hot pan and cook over medium high heat until crispy, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or so. Season bread with salt and pepper. For herb oil, use a blender to mix a variety of herbs you have on hand with oil, season lightly with salt.

Turnip and Leek Soup Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #eatseasonal #soup #vegan #paleo #whole30 #glutenfree

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Comments (20)

  1. The experience at Solitude sounds amazing, and so does this soup! I love turnips but have never made soup out of them before. This looks so creamy and delicious and I really need to try it! Thank you for hosting another great month, Becky, and I love the graphic!

    • I need more turnip ideas! I didn’t have a single turnip recipe on the blog so I figured I needed at least one! Now I need to try more. Thanks for being such an important part of our group!

  2. I’ve always wanted to visit a yurt! Perhaps the next time I’m in Utah, I’ll venture to Solitude – snowshoeing to dinner sounds so fun and peaceful! And to be greeted by such a tasty soup — that’s all I would need after a walk in the snow. I love how you used turnip — such an underused ingredient!

    • I totally agree. I had never used turnip before but since it was the star of my seasonal guide I figured I’d better try! It was great pureed in soup! Definitely make plans to come back to Utah to dine at the Yurt… AND visit me 🙂

  3. My husband and I stayed in a yurt when we were in Maui a few years ago and it was so much fun! I love how creamy this soup looks! I just recently started cooking more with turnips and I love their subtly sweet flavor. It’s cloudy and cold today and this soup sounds perfect!

    • That would be so fun to stay the night in a yurt!! And in Hawaii none the less! I just started cooking with turnips too and need more ideas of how to use them!

    • I know, so simple right. When I made it first as a potato soup I almost couldn’t believe how simple it was! The turnips turn up the flavor a notch but leeks are also a powerhouse of flavor on their own! You definitely need to come back to UT and go to the Yurt!

  4. 5 stars
    Soup was really yummy. Surprising how good. I did the crouton thing and even topped it with some parmesan cheese. Recommended.

    • This comment totally makes me smile!! Love it when food surprises us… especially healthy food! This one would also be good with parsnips… maybe a bit more on the sweet side as tunips would make it more savory. Glad you enjoyed!

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