Thanksgiving came and went – and I barely set foot in the kitchen. That’s because the family gathered for lunch at Su Hong Eatery to celebrate the holiday. And while my parents invited us kids over for a relatively impromptu turkey dinner, I only had time to prepare a salted caramel pumpkin pie before the get-together.
The next morning, I was on the road to Los Angeles (where I enjoyed homemade hot pot at a friend’s house and hula hoop pizza at The Rose Venice, among other things).
Just before the festivities began, however, the folks at Cal-Organic Farms sent me a big box of fresh produce, which included two hefty turnips. And so I whipped up a batch of brown butter leek and turnip soup.
While the recipe is super simple, the finished product is exquisite. As you might expect, the soup is rich and creamy thanks to the butter and root veggies, which soften as they cook. Serve brown butter leek and turnip soup as a starter or alongside chive and cotija biscuits for a light meal.
Recipe adapted from Brooklyn Supper.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 leeks (white and light green parts only), quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups peeled and diced turnips
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- chopped fresh chives, for garnish
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling pot occasionally, until deep golden brown, 4-5 minutes.
- Add leeks, salt, pepper and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add turnips and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add vegetable broth, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until turnips are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove soup from heat and purée. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish each serving with chives.
