Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Broccoli Turkey Turnip Soup

Broccoli Turkey Turnip soup with grated
raw cheddar cheese and "black dust" black pepper!

Creating the post title for this post really made me laugh. Broccoli turkey turnip soup! It has such a happy go-lucky feeling to it doesn't it? If you are looking for an easy broccoli veggie soup, this recipe is for you. Some would call it "detox New Years soup" (have you noticed those recipes popping up everywhere?) but I would make this soup any time of year, detox or not. Plus, if you eat real food as I do, you don't have to detox!

This recipe was inspired by Elana's recent Broccoli Soup. Her basic recipe sounded fantastic, and as I started to make her recipe, the whole operation kind of went in a different direction and now I have something quite a bit different to share! I added homemade chicken stock, turnips and ground turkey to the recipe. I love the addition of the chicken stock, since the warmth and nourishment of the broth really promote excellent digestion and a happy stomach.

 Another great thing about this recipe is that the soup has no added fat, except the tiny amount of olive oil at the beginning. I did this intentionally to make it light. Fat is necessary for every meal, so depending what you are in the mood for, stir in a glob of coconut oil to boost your coconut oil consumption, stir in a tablespoon of butter, or grate any desired type of cheese on top. Fresh raw cream or coconut milk would also be a great addition to make the soup have an even more creamy consistency. I added the turnips for this reason, creamy whiteness without the cream! The recipe is very basic and easy to customize to your liking. It is also grain-free and low calorie!


Broccoli Turkey Turnip Soup
     serves many, with leftovers for the freezer

1 large heads organic broccoli
1 bag of turnips
water as needed
2 Tbsp olive oil or real butter
1/3 one large vadalia onion
4-6 cups homemade chicken or turkey stock
1-2 lb ground turkey
spices: sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, kelp flakes

To make your soup:
1. Sautee onions in butter or olive oil until browned, add broccoli and some water and steam until soft.
2. In a separate pot, boil turnips until soft. Strain off water and keep in pot. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
3. In the same broccoli sautee pan, brown ground turkey until cooked through.
4. Pour the broccoli mixture into the turnip pot and puree with a hand blender, or transfer by small batches to a blender. Blend/puree until smooth. Finally, transfer (do not drain) turkey to the pot.
4. Add spices and let simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Serve with lots of black pepper and grated raw cheddar cheese!


This recipe is very versatile since lots of other ingredients and mix-ins can be easily added. I like it just the way it is. I was in an adventurous food-mood one night and to the leftovers I added some frozen crinkle cut carrots and frozen blueberries! Weird combination but it was very good! Maybe I was craving some blueberries :)

It's definitely freezing up here in the North East. This soup will keep you warm at either breakfast, lunch or dinner!

1 comment:

The Grecian Garden said...

I've been making a lot of soup lately. This recipe looks like it will need to be added to my list. My grandma just gave me a bag of turnips and I wasn't sure what to do with them. Now I do, thanks! :)