Southern Turnip Green Soup (Florida Cooking)
Submitted by hanna
Southern turnip green soup with cubed turnip roots, wilted and pureed greens, half-and-half, and a spoonful of cooked grits for body. Florida-style cream soup rooted in soul food.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsA Southern cream soup that treats the turnip as a whole vegetable, using both the root and the greens instead of tossing half the plant in the compost. The roots get cubed and sauteed in butter with onion until crisp-tender, while the greens get their own skillet treatment, both pieces braising in chicken stock before everything comes together in one creamy pot.
The signature Florida-country move is the spoonful of cooked grits stirred in at the end. Those grits do two jobs: they add a faint corn sweetness that plays off the bitter-peppery turnip greens, and they thicken the soup to that velvety, spoonable texture without flour or cornstarch. It’s a trick borrowed from French cooks who finish soups with rice, translated through Southern pantry staples.
A small amount of sugar balances the natural bitterness of the greens. Don’t skip it. Lemon juice added to the turnip-root mixture brightens the cream base and keeps the finished soup from tasting heavy. Puree the greens separately so you can control final texture: a loose puree reads rustic, a silky puree reads elegant.
Kitchen Tips
- Rinse greens thoroughly. Turnip greens hide grit in their crinkled leaves, and one missed wash ruins the pot.
- Don’t brown the onions. Pale, sweated onions keep the soup’s color green; browned onions muddy it to gray.
- Use homemade or good-quality chicken broth. Five and a half cups means the broth flavor comes through loud and clear.
- Serve with hot buttered cornbread or biscuits for a complete Southern supper.
Variations
- Swap turnip greens for mustard, collard, or kale greens with similar results.
- Stir in crumbled bacon or diced country ham for smoky depth.
- Finish with a splash of hot pepper vinegar at the table for classic Southern greens flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the turnip roots off the greens.
Clean and wash the greens, discarding any blemished or yellowed edges.
Tear the large leaves into smaller pices.
Trim the ends and peel the turnips.
Cube into bite-size pieces, enough to make 4 cups.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat.
Add the turnips and sauté until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the onions, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender, but not browned.
Add ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon sugar, and 1½ cups of the chicken stock.
Blend well, stir in the lemon juice, and set aside.
In another skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
Add the greens and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, until crisp-tinder.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and remaining 4 cups chicken stock.
Blend well and remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes.
Purée the greens in a food processor or in batches in a blender.
Add the puréed greens to the turnip mixture.
Mix together and reheat.
Add the half-and-half and the cooked grits, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot.
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