Apples and turnips? How does that even work? The answer is: surprisingly well! The blend of sweet, bitter, and savory flavors creates a soup that is both comforting and surprising. You'll discover subtle levels of complexity as you continue eating, making it a delightful and memorable dish.
Here's why this recipe works. Turnips have a slightly bitter taste, but like most root vegetables they also contain a lot of sugar. Cooking them with onions help bring that sweetness out. The addition of sweet spices like cinnamon and ginger also helps tone the bitterness down.
Also, the larger a turnip is, the more bitter is, so look for smaller ones. I made this recipe with some beautiful baby turnips I got at the farmers market. Another benefit of using baby turnips is that the skins are so thin that I don't even have to peel them!
For a different take on an apple and turnip pairing, take a look at my Spiced Turnip and Apple Soup!
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Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need. Measure some spices, do some chopping, and you're ready to cook!
The spices: coriander, cumin, mustard cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric.
In addition to the spices you'll need shallots, apples, turnips, and lime juice (not shown).
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Mustard
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Shallots
- Apples
- Turnips
(See the recipe card for quantities.)
Last Minute Addition! You'll also need a tablespoon of lime juice. I was having some of the soup the next day and added some lime juice, and it was amazing how much it brightened up the flavor! So it's part of the recipe now, but it's not in the picture. You know what lime juice looks like, right?
Instructions
Here's how to make it. This is a quick and easy recipe, with not many steps.
Saute the shallots in some butter or coconut oil.
Add the apples and turnips and cook for a few minutes, just enough to start to bring the sugars out.
Add the spice mixture...
and mix everything together.
Add about two cups of water, just enough to cover the ingredients.
Bring to a boil; then lower the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the lime juice, and use an immersion or counter-top blender to puree the soup until it's smooth.
Serve the soup as-is, or decorate it with thin slices of apple. And a bit of sour cream never hurts!
Tip: This soup is also great cold! Make it a day or two in advance to serve with a main course or salad!
Substitutions
- Shallots - If you don't have any shallots, you can use an onion. Depending on the size of the onion, you may only want to use ½ or even ¼ of an onion.
- Lime Juice - You can use lemon juice too.
Equipment
See the recipe card for the equipment list. You might not have an apple corer, unless you're a kitchen gadget collector. (I'm pointing at myself in the mirror.) But don't run out and buy one if you don't have one. Just make four cuts down the apple to slice the sides off so you're left with a square core, toss it, and chop the good part!
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📖 Recipe Card
Turnip and Apple Soup
Special Equipment Needed
- 1 Vegetable peeler
- 1 Apple corer (optional)
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chef knife
- 1 Large stock pot
- 1 Stirring spoon
- 1 Blender (counter-top or immersion)
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter
- 1 large shallot chopped
- 4 turnips peeled and diced
- 2 tart green apples such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and diced
- 2 cups water or until ingredients are covered
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Mix the spices together well.½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground mustard, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- Heat the coconut oil or butter in a saucepan. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter, 1 large shallot
- Add the turnips and apples and cook for about 1 minute.4 turnips, 2 tart green apples
- Add the spice mixture and mix well.
- Add water until all the ingredients are covered and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.2 cups water
- Add the lime juice. Use a countertop or immersion blender to puree the soup to your preferred consistency.1 tablespoon lime juice
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. Arrange thinly sliced apples on top for an elegant presentation!
Nutrition Estimate
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