I promised I would…

no higher than 40 degrees predicted all week and Thanksgiving is on Thursday; it’s time to warm up with Fall in a bowl!

So here’s what I’ve used in my root veggie soup:  4 potatoes, 2 spring turnips, sunchokes, rutabaga, and kohlrabi.  I only had this odd combination on hand because I’d just been to the farm for a food share.

Veggie Notes:

• Smaller is usually better.  Smaller potatoes, smaller rutabaga, smaller turnips, you get the picture…
• If you can only find purple turnips, use SPARINGLY.  Their flavor is strong and so only use 1/2 of spring turnip amount.
  
• Peel off the outer layer of rutabaga, sunchokes, turnip, kohlrabi, broccoli stem.  And use only the flesh on the outer edges of the kohlrabi and rutabaga, as the inner section is very woody…

So easy to substitute any of the veggies above with what you can find at the grocery store anytime of year…you can add an extra potato if you cannot find sunchokes, a couple of turnips if you can’t find rutabaga, and a broccoli stem/stalk for the kohlrabi (save the florets/crown for an unbelievable salad I’ll tell you about at a later date).

 

Ready to start?  Ok, let’s prep!

You’ll need a medium onion, chopped, 3 carrots (yellow, white & orange from the farm!), chopped, and about 3 stalks celery, chopped…2 parts onion to 1 part celery and 1 part carrot.

This is what the French call mirepoix (pronounce ‘meer-pwah’) and is used to flavor stocks, soups, sauces, etc…yummy…

 

 

Speaking of flavor…BOOM!  How about 4-6 slices of hickory smoked bacon (or whatever you have on hand).  Chop this…

 

 

This is about the amount of rutabaga I use…not too much, because its flavor can be strong… maybe a 1/2 cup chopped

 

 

About a 1/2 cup of chopped kohlrabi…then chop up the peeled sunchokes, potatoes and turnips to approximately the same size as above.

Time to cook!

(I’m using a large stock pot.)

Ahhhhh, we start off by permeating the house with the smell of bacon.  That, to me, is the way any perfect recipe should begin…

Fry it up, scoop most of it out and lay it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Smack your husband’s hand away when he tries to steal some.

Pour out most of the bacon fat into a little jar to reserve for later use, and believe me, there will be plenty of use for it later!

 

Add the mirepoix and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.

 

Add the remaining chopped veggies.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring often.

 

What’s this you may say to yourself?  A little ‘oomph’ is what it is!  Add 1 teaspoon of this magic, cajun seasoning, to your caldron.

 

 

And now add plenty of salt and pepper, too.

 

Next is the liquid.  You’ll need 8 cups of chicken broth; whichever is your preference works great.

 

Bring it to a gentle, rolling boil and let it cook for 10 minutes, till the veggies are starting to get tender.

 

Next we’ll make a slurry which will thicken the soup beautifully.  We’ll need to put 3 tablespoons of flour into a medium bowl

 

 

with a cup of whole milk.

 

 

Now whisk it together to get out the lumps.  Perfect!

 

Add the slurry to the soup and stir it around to incorporate it.  Let it cook for another 5 minutes or so, to allow the soup to thicken.

 

 

Almost done!  Filling the blender about 1/4 of the way full at a time(not much more than that because since it’s hot it will expand when you turn it on and could burst out of the blender and burn your hand/body and splash all over the place…be careful!), blend all of the soup in the stock pot, until barely any little morsels of potato or vegetable remain.

Return all the soup to the pot and place back on the hot burner.

Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream, or 3/4 cup or 1 cup…depends on how velvety you like your soups!

Now season to taste with salt and pepper, and ladle into the bowls of your salivating guests and family members.  Amazing!

Serve as is for the healthier version.  Or sprinkle with the reserved bacon bits for a more decadent version.  You won’t be disappointed, either way!