Turnup the Flavor (Broccoli Cheese soup with turnips)

The lowly turnip gets such a bad rap.  It is a crappy name and they are boring looking.  But you know what they do really well?  Stand in for a low carb swap for a potato in a pinch or on purpose!  I recently had broccoli and turnips in a Covey Rise Share and decided to make soup since it was cold.  I looked for inspiration on the Google to make sure my harebrained scheme would work and found this easy recipe from Relaxing Kitchen and decided to try it.

I thought it would need some oomph and was going to add Velveeta as you can see below and low and behold, it did not need it!  It was not as creamy as if it had traditional thickener but my little low carb self did not care.  Roasting the veggies really made a great difference in flavor, such a nice touch!

If you love broccoli cheese soup like I do but don't like it to show on your hips, this is the recipe for you!  It is comforting, cheesy and healthy to boot! What is not to love?  I had this for lunch all week with a salad and it was great.  What is your favorite soup pairing?  Full recipe to follow the short montage.

Can't even tell there's turnips in there!

As I mentioned, the Velveeta was not used.  It may have been used later in queso.

Roasting the veggies gives them so much flavor!

Blend them on up and no one will ever know!

Broccoli Cheese Soup with turnips and no cream (Adapted from Relaxing Kitchen )

Ingredients
1.5 lbs broccoli, cut into large chunks
1 onion, quartered
olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, quartered
2 turnips, peeled and cut into medium-sized chunks
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth broth
1- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and red pepper flakes to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Put the broccoli garlic and onion on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes, until softened.
3. When the vegetables are roasted, place them in a large pot, along with the turnips, and pour in the broth. Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, or until the turnips are soft.
4. Using an immersion blender or working in batches with a blender, puree the soup until it is creamy. (If using a blender, return all of the soup to the pot). Stir in the cheese, a little at a time, until it is melted in. Season with additional salt and red pepper flakes to taste.

Happy Cooking!

Missy