A simple spiced turnip soup served with creamy feta cheese. Warming and delicious.
Easy Turnip and Feta Soup
One turnip sitting in the fridge, looking out at me forlornly.
I should really say neep and not turnip, how very un-Scottish of me!
Anyway, it needed to be used and I hummed and hawed for a few minutes before I decided to make some soup and yes I had some feta sitting in the fridge waiting to be used up too.
Easy feta & turnip soup, what a great combination.
A turnip is a winter Scottish root vegetable with yellow flesh.
To confuse things, in Scotland we also call it a neep as in neeps and tatties (potatoes). We have a nickname for it too, we also call it a tumshie.
Now, this is where it gets complicated.
Yes, it's one that confuses many people.
For more soup recipes, check out my soup recipe page.
What is a Scottish turnip?
I think before we go any further, we need to clear one thing up. So here we go.
What is a turnip?
A turnip is a winter Scottish root vegetable with yellow flesh.
It's a big heefer of a vegetable and totally hellish to cut (see my tip below), but it tastes wonderful in soups or mashed with lots of butter or vegan spread, salt and pepper.
What are neeps?
To confuse things, in Scotland we also call it a neep as in neeps and tatties (potatoes). We have a nickname for it too, we also call it a tumshie.
What's a turnip called elsewhere?
Now, this is where it gets complicated.
We quarrel with our neighbours in England about many things and one of them is the humble turnip.
English call these turnips a swede and in the USA they are called rutabaga.
Yes, it's one that confuses many people.
The original name for them is Swedish turnips. In England they abbreviated that to Swedes and here in Scotland we abbreviated it to turnip.
I hope that clears it up for you.
Microwave swede hack
Tiktok is great for tips and one of the latest I came across makes it easier to cut this hulking beast of the vegetable world.
Just pop the whole swede (turnip) in the microwave and cook for 15-20 minutes, depending on size.
It's hot so take it out with oven gloves then let it cool a little, before cutting in half and scooping out the swede flesh.
You will find it super easy to cut and scoop.
Genius!
And yes I updated this post in 2022, just in case your are puzzling over how I knew about Tiktok back in 2007.
What you need to make turnip and feta soup
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this gorgeous swede and feta soup.
- olive oil
- red onion
- garlic
- carrot
- turnip - or swede, whichever it is called in your area
- red chilli - or chilli flakes
- fresh coriander - or dried but not ground
- vegetable stock
- salt and pepper
- feta cheese - dairy or vegan, depending on your diet
Does vegan feta work in soup?
Now here's the thing about vegan feta, it dissolves into oil when it is cooked.
However, it's added when this soup is served, so it will only start to soften, but you will still have that creamy, salty cheese, so you are good to go.
Do not add it to the pot and let it cook, or it will turn to oil!
Can you use frozen turnip in soup?
Frozen vegetables like sweded or turnip are so convenient and often cheaper than fresh vegetables.
They are also a good option as they are prepared and frozen quickly so they retain their nutrients.
And, of course, it saves you chopping the beast!
While we are talking about turnips/swede/neeps, check out my post how to cook neeps.
Perfect if you are making vegan haggis, neeps and tatties.
How long will this soup keep?
Once cool, this soup can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
You can also freeze this soup (once cool) in freezer bags or tubs for 3-4 months.
Keep the feta just for serving.
More hearty soups to try
Here are a few more easy and warming soup recipes for you to try next.
Yield: 4-6
Easy Turnip and Feta Soup
A simple spiced turnip soup served with creamy feta cheese. Warming and delicious.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- I red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 1 large turnip, chopped
- 1/2 red chilli, deseed and finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon chilli flakes)
- a handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- 3 pints (1.7 litres or 7 cups) vegetable stock
- a good grinding of salt and pepper
- 100g (3 1/2 oz) feta cheese, for garnish (dairy or vegan)
Instructions
- In a large pot, saute the onion, garlic and chilli in the olive oil until soft.
- Add the turnip and carrot and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the stock and cook gently for a further 30 minutes.
- Blend the soup and add the coriander, salt and pepper.
- Serve topped with crumbled feta cheese (optional).
- Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use frozen or fresh turnip/swede.
- You can add dairy or vegan feta to the soup as you serve it, but don't add it to the pot.
- This soup can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
Calories
4 servings = 140 calories per portion
5 servings = 112 calories per portion
6 servings = 93 calories per portion
Nutrition Facts
Calories
139.94Fat (grams)
8.98Sat. Fat (grams)
3.81Carbs (grams)
11.24Fiber (grams)
1.49Net carbs
9.76Sugar (grams)
5.95Protein (grams)
4.36Sodium (milligrams)
1797.36Cholesterol (grams)
22.25This information is approximated using a nutrition and calorie calculator.
Looks good to me just the way it is. I love soup! A cold! It is Springtime girl, take good care of yourself. Soup is good for ya!
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon!
Thanks Deb, I think the cold is down to the damp weather! Can you send some of your sun this way please!
ReplyDeleteI just said too my wife last week that i think soup is one of my favourite things. This soup sounds very interesting. I'm not a big fan of feta cheese though. Do you think it would work with another cheese?
ReplyDeleteHi Anon,
ReplyDeleteWhy not try grating some parmesan over the soup or a really good strong cheddar. Although the soup is lovely and hearty on it's own, just served with some crusty bread!