Turnip & Carrot Soup (from the trenches)
Recipe is an adaptation of one found in an old WWI reference book (can’t recall the title or author).
Ingredients:
3 good sized turnip roots peeled, cut into ¾” cubes (should yield about 2lbs)
2 lb Carrots, peeled, cut into similarly sized (to the turnips) pieces (maybe get two in a teaspoon)
1 White Onion cut up rustico
1 Red Onion cut up rustico
1 Clove Garlic (minced course)
1 Bunch Green Onion Diced
1 tsp black pepper ground
2 tsp salt
6 oz Salt Pork (sliced into slices about 3” X 1” X ¼”)
6 oz Country Cured Pork Chopped or Minced into small pieces (I use ends & pieces, Lord’s)
64 oz (2 tetra packs) of Beef Stock
3 Heaping tsp of bacon grease
2 cups water
Directions:
I peel and cut everything first. You’ll want a really sharp knife to cube the turnips and salt pork. Don’t do it if your knives are dull. I use a 12 qt stock pot to hold everything once assembled.
Take 3 heaping teaspoons of bacon grease and add to a frying pan. Heat on high. Add the salt pork slices. Brown a little on both sides. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
Add the onion and garlic, all of it, to the hot grease. This makes a mirepoix (you could use a few bags of Kroger frozen mirepoix to save time, but you’ll need to add some garlic). You should sweat the onions and garlic until translucent and just beginning to brown. Do NOT overcook the onions and garlic.
Add the Turnips, Carrots, both containers of beef stock, mirepoix, salt, pepper and minced cured ham to the stock pot. Cut the salt pork strips (now cool) into smaller pieces and add to the pot. Bring to a boil covered and then reduce heat to medium low, covered, for about 2.5 to 3 hours.
I couldn’t find parsnips at the local Macongo Kroger (gotta go the North side or rich part of Macongo) so I didn’t include them. If you do, simply prepare them the same as your carrots and add about ½ lb. You could add more if you like, there’ll be plenty of room in the pot. I added two cups of water at the end to dilute the saltiness a little bit. If you want it less salty, but more of a stew consistency, use only 1 tsp of salt in the pot.
Yields 18 cups.
When it's finished (everything tender to touch or spoon) it looks like this:
Recipe is an adaptation of one found in an old WWI reference book (can’t recall the title or author).
Ingredients:
3 good sized turnip roots peeled, cut into ¾” cubes (should yield about 2lbs)
2 lb Carrots, peeled, cut into similarly sized (to the turnips) pieces (maybe get two in a teaspoon)
1 White Onion cut up rustico
1 Red Onion cut up rustico
1 Clove Garlic (minced course)
1 Bunch Green Onion Diced
1 tsp black pepper ground
2 tsp salt
6 oz Salt Pork (sliced into slices about 3” X 1” X ¼”)
6 oz Country Cured Pork Chopped or Minced into small pieces (I use ends & pieces, Lord’s)
64 oz (2 tetra packs) of Beef Stock
3 Heaping tsp of bacon grease
2 cups water
Directions:
I peel and cut everything first. You’ll want a really sharp knife to cube the turnips and salt pork. Don’t do it if your knives are dull. I use a 12 qt stock pot to hold everything once assembled.
Take 3 heaping teaspoons of bacon grease and add to a frying pan. Heat on high. Add the salt pork slices. Brown a little on both sides. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
Add the onion and garlic, all of it, to the hot grease. This makes a mirepoix (you could use a few bags of Kroger frozen mirepoix to save time, but you’ll need to add some garlic). You should sweat the onions and garlic until translucent and just beginning to brown. Do NOT overcook the onions and garlic.
Add the Turnips, Carrots, both containers of beef stock, mirepoix, salt, pepper and minced cured ham to the stock pot. Cut the salt pork strips (now cool) into smaller pieces and add to the pot. Bring to a boil covered and then reduce heat to medium low, covered, for about 2.5 to 3 hours.
I couldn’t find parsnips at the local Macongo Kroger (gotta go the North side or rich part of Macongo) so I didn’t include them. If you do, simply prepare them the same as your carrots and add about ½ lb. You could add more if you like, there’ll be plenty of room in the pot. I added two cups of water at the end to dilute the saltiness a little bit. If you want it less salty, but more of a stew consistency, use only 1 tsp of salt in the pot.
Yields 18 cups.
When it's finished (everything tender to touch or spoon) it looks like this:
