French Turnip Soup

Recently I ate at a small bistro that offered a French turnip soup as a first course. I wasn't sure what to expect but the soup was delicious and I decided to see if I could recreate the soup at home. The restaurant version called for duck fumet, but I decided to make my first stab at the recipe using chicken stock since duck fumet is not a staple in my kitchen.

I checked my French cookbooks for recipes when I got home but no luck. When I googled turnip soup though, Martha Stewart came through.

Her version, which is based on a traditional French version, calling for leeks, potatoes, and turnips, as well as some cream and egg yolks, turned out to be much like a vichyssoise -- silky and delicious but slightly richer (thanks to the yolks) and slightly more bitter than the more common potato and leek soup. I was even a little surprised how how flavorful the soup was as the only seasoning is salt and pepper.

The recipe called for croutons and some shaved truffles -- but we skipped those and didn't miss either.

This soup can be done entirely in advance, except for the final addition of the cream and egg yolks, which should be done just before serving.

The recipe calls for the use of a food mill but in this case, a blender would be just as effective and possibly more so.