Turnip Soup is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of turnips and onions cooked in a meat-based stock that's pureed and re-heated before serving. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Turnip Soup.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
157. INGREDIENTS.—3 oz. of butter, 9 good-sized turnips, 4 onions, 2 quarts of stock No. 106, seasoning to taste.
Mode.—Melt the butter in the stewpan, but do not let it boil; wash, drain, and slice the turnips and onions very thin; put them in the butter, with a teacupful of stock, and stew very gently for an hour. Then add the remainder of the stock, and simmer another hour. Rub it through a tammy, put it back into the stewpan, but do not let it boil. Serve very hot.
Time.—2-1/2 hours. Average cost, 8d. per quart.
Seasonable from October to March.
Sufficient for 8 persons.
Note.—By adding a little cream, this soup will be much improved.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
90g butter
9 decent-sized turnips, peeled, washed and sliced very thinly
4 onions, thinly sliced
2l economical stock
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Melt the butter in a stockpot then add the onions and turnips. Add 250ml of the stock, bring to a simmer then cover and cook gently for 60 minutes. Add the remainder of the stock at this point, return to a simmer and cook for a further 60 minutes.
Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly. Either rub through a fine-meshed sieve or purée in a food processor then pass through a sieve. Return the purée to the pan, adjust the seasonings to taste then allow to heat through (but do not boil). Take off the heat and serve.
If desired, the soup can be finished by the addition of 100ml cream.
