I still have the cheap food mill I bought from a vendor at a market on the Boulevard Raspail when I lived in Paris decades ago. The knob has come loose from the handle, but it still does the job. I pull it out every time I make this soup.
I use the food mill instead of a blender — immersion or regular — because I love the texture of the soup when it’s put through the mill’s coarse blade, resulting in a flavorful, colorful mixture that you can almost chew on.
That said, don’t feel you can’t make this winter vegetable soup if you don’t have a food mill. You can use a blender to purée the soup. The texture will be coarsest — which is what you want — if you use an immersion blender.
The soup itself, made with supermarket vegetables, is deceptively simple. Throw carrots, leeks, turnips, potatoes, garlic and a bouquet garni in a pot, cover with water or stock, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes.
Remove the bouquet garni and put the soup through the coarse blade of a food mill or blend. Return to the pot, whisk in some crème fraîche, and that’s it: a comforting winter soup whose sweet, earthy flavors are equally informed by carrots, turnips and leeks.
The key to success is in the seasoning (be generous with salt and pepper) and in that small amount of crème fraîche that brings all the elements together and gives the flavor of the soup a delicate lift. I found that a quarter of a cup was enough to do the trick, but you can always use more if you want something richer.
Winter Vegetable Soup with Turnips, Carrots, Potatoes and Leeks
Yield: 6 servings
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
3 large leeks (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), white parts only, cleaned and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 large carrots (10 ounces), diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 large or 2 medium turnips (10 ounces), peeled and diced
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced
A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf and a few sprigs each thyme and parsley
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup crème fraîche, more to taste
Chopped fresh parsley or tarragon, for garnish
Preparation
1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the leeks, garlic, carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, bouquet garni, 1 1/2 quarts water, 2 to 3 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.
2. Pass the soup through the coarse blade of a food mill (or purée using a blender or an immersion blender).
3. Return soup to the pot and whisk in 1/4 cup crème fraîche (or more, to taste). Heat through, taste and adjust seasonings (be generous with salt and pepper). To serve, garnish each bowl with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of parsley or tarragon.
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