Creamy Rutabaga Soup

Until I used rutabaga in this soup, I had never cooked one before. The rutabaga soup turned out so good, that my husband and I became hooked on it and were making it every week for a while. This recipe is simple and tastes very rich and creamy even with nonfat or low-fat milk. Use lactose-free milk if you like, but don’t skip the butter. The most fun of all about this soup is saying the word “rutabaga.”

Ingredients

2 rutabagas slightly larger in size than tennis balls (will make 4 bowls of soup)
½ cup water (or vegetable soup stock if you have some handy)
1 cup milk (more may be needed, read directions below)
2 tbsp. butter (or olive oil if you insist on skipping the butter)
1 tbsp. dried thyme or 2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
¼ tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Directions

Peel and thinly slice the rutabagas. Put them into 4 cups of boiling water and simmer on medium to low heat for 20 minutes or until the rutabagas are soft enough to mash with a fork. Drain the water off. Put the rutabagas in the blender with the 2 tbsp. of butter. The butter should be a bit soft, but does not need to be melted. It will melt in the hot rutabagas. Add the water/stock and then the milk. The liquid should cover the rutabaga but not extend above it in the blender. Add the thyme, pepper, and salt and whirl in the blender until smooth. Place the soup back into a pot and reheat slowly over low heat. The milk in the soup will cause it to burn to the sides of the pot if you reheat it too quickly. I think that the “secret ingredient” to this soup is the thyme, which lends it a remarkable uncomplicated, delicious flavor.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!