Warm up with a bowl of steaming rutabaga soup loaded with rich and cozy flavors. This one-pot recipe is mostly hands-off and will be on your dinner table in 35 minutes. It's the perfect flavorful addition to your winter meals and the whole family will thank you for it.
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Rutabagas are incredibly underrated, but they're one of my favorite vegetables. If you've never tried them before, it's a winter root vegetable that's like a cross between a turnip and a potato.
My honey roasted rutabaga recipe and rutabaga gratin recipe are two of my most popular winter side dishes and enough proof that rutabagas are simply the best.
📖Why My Recipe Works
Sauting the onion and garlic for a nice, caramelized flavor before boiling the peeled rutabaga.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Rutabaga- Also called Swede. Use a smooth and firm rutabaga without spots or blemishes.
- Butter- Unsalted is better, the saltiness of most store-bought broths is more than enough.
- Onions- For sauteing, use yellow or white onions.
- Garlic- Use freshly minced garlic or try my roasted garlic for an umami flavor.
- Chicken Stock- Or vegetable broth. You can even use turkey broth.
- Fresh Thyme- If you're using dried thyme, use about ⅓ the amount. You can also use fresh parsley.
- Dijon Mustard- Adds a slight tangy flavor to the soup.
- Heavy Cream- For a rich and creamy texture. You can also use half and half or cashew cream to make it dairy-free.
- Gruyere Cheese- You can substitute gruyere with Swiss cheese or a sharp white cheddar cheese.
💭 Apple Rutabaga Soup Variation
Add a cup of chopped Granny Smith apples along with the rutabagas, and let them simmer until tender. Adding apples gives the soup a mildly sweet flavor and you'll have a soup that truly represents autumn.
⏲️How to Make Rutabaga Soup
- Sauté the onions until they are soft and translucent, then cook the garlic for only 30 seconds to avoid burning. The caramelized onions and garlic will add a nice, complex flavor to the soup.
- Peel and chop the rutabagas and add to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Don't let the soup boil for too long, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 25 minutes until the chopped rutabagas are fork-tender.
- Let the soup cool slightly before blending for safety. Puree the soup in batches in a high-powered blender or better yet, use an immersion blender and blend until the soup is smooth and creamy.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh thyme before serving. Enjoy the soup while warm!
🥗What to Serve with Rutabaga Soup
Serve this creamy soup with a side of gluten-free garlic bread or gluten-free crescent rolls, which are both perfect for dipping. It's also delicious when paired with salads like kale salad with cranberries and roasted beet and apple salad.
Pair it with roast turkey or chicken, braised pork shoulder with apples, Italian sausage and broccolini pasta, and ground turkey stuffed acorn squash.
👩🏻🍳Jen's Top Tip
It's best to stir in the heavy cream and cheese at the end for a velvety texture. Add the cream slowly wit the pot removed from the heat.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Creamy Rutabaga Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2.5 pounds rutabaga peeled and cut into a 1-inch dice
- 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves removed
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup gruyere cheese grated
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until onions are soft about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the rutabaga to the pot along with chicken broth, salt, pepper, and thyme, and mustard. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover with a lid and tilt to the side to let the steam escape. Book until the rutabaga pieces are tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.2.5 pounds rutabaga, 4 cups chicken stock, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Remove the pot from heat. Blend in batches and return to the pot. Stir in the cream.⅔ cup heavy cream
- Serve topped with cheese (or stir the cheese until melted in for a thicker soup).⅔ cup gruyere cheese
Katie says
Directions were easy to follow.