Creamed Turnip Soup

This turnip green soup is restaurant-elegant but deceptively simple. Blanched greens get pureed with a strained cream reduction flavored with shallots, white wine, and whole peppercorns, then finished with finely grated parmesan for a velvety, deeply savory bowl.

Blanching the greens in boiling water then shocking them in ice water is what locks in that vivid green color. Skip the ice bath and the greens turn army-drab during pureeing. The quick blanch also removes some of the bitterness that raw turnip greens carry, leaving a more approachable, slightly sweet flavor.

Reducing the cream with white wine and peppercorns by half concentrates it into something intensely flavored before it ever touches the greens. Straining out the solids gives you a clean, silky liquid that blends into the puree without any chunks. The parmesan stirred in at the end adds salt and umami that ties the earthy greens to the rich cream.

Chef Tips

• Strain the cream reduction through a fine-mesh sieve. Peppercorn bits and shallot pieces in the puree will break the smooth, elegant texture.
• Puree while the cream is still warm. Cold cream thickens too much in the food processor and the soup won’t blend as smoothly.
• Serve immediately after pureeing. The vibrant green color dulls as it sits, and reheating can cause the cream to break.

Variations

• Swap turnip greens for kale or collard greens for a milder, less bitter version.
• Add a peeled, diced potato to the blanching water and puree it with the greens for a thicker, heartier soup.
• Top with a drizzle of truffle oil and toasted pine nuts for a dinner-party-worthy presentation.