Rutabaga Soup with Smoked Cheddar and Rosemary
Rutabaga Soup is so delightfully comforting. And this Rutabaga Soup with Smoked Cheddar and Rosemary is the perfect way to introduce a little rutabaga into your life. (You want rutabaga in your life, don't you?)
Sweet rutabaga with smoky cheese and comforting rosemary come together to make a super flavourful, creamy rutabaga soup that is sure to make you feel instantly cozy!
What you'll need to make this rutabaga soup
- Rutabaga: That big ol' turnip looking thing you've been passing by at the grocery store for years.
- Onion: Because it's soup after all.
- Apple: I love using apples in soup. I use Granny Smith apples because they're nice and tart.
- Rosemary: Fresh or dried, it's up to you.
- Bay leaves: Again, soup.
- Beer: Optional, but it adds a nice malty flavour and helps make the cheese melt a bit better!
- Stock: I usually use chicken stock, but vegetable stock does the trick too.
- Smoked cheddar: I love the flavour of smoked cheddar in this rutabaga soup, but you can swap it out for any good melting cheese of your choice.
- Butter or olive oil: To get things started.
- Salt: Because the best soup is a well-seasoned soup.
How to make this Rutabaga Soup with Smoked Cheddar and Rosemary
Follow these easy steps to make the creamiest most flavourful rutabaga soupMelt the butter in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat
Step 1: Chop the onion roughly and add it to the pot with the butter, along with the salt
Step 2: Peel and chop the rutabaga and apple and add to the pot
Step 3: Allow the vegetables to sauté for 3-5 minutes, then add the beer (if using), along with the stock, rosemary, and bay leaf.
Step 4: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rutabaga and apple are fork-tender
Step 5: While the soup is simmering, grate the cheese and set aside.
Step 6: Remove the pot from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and blend the soup until smooth using the blending implement of your choice. For the smoothest soup, use a high-powered blender like a Vitamix.
Step 7: Add the cheese to the soup a small handful at a time, and whisk or blend in between additions.
Step 8: If the soup is too thick, add stock or water until you reach the desired consistency.
Step 9: Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary, and black pepper if you like.
Success Tips
- These tips for success will help you make the silkiest creamiest rutabaga soup
- When choosing your cheese, make sure it's not too aged. A medium or young cheese with lots of moisture will melt into the soup much better.
- Also related to cheese melt-ability, it will melt much better if the soup isn't boiling hot. I like to blend the soup off the heat, so it has a chance to cool slightly before adding the cheese. It also helps to add the cheese in small amounts instead of all at once.
- If you choose to forego the beer, that's ok. But alcohol does help the cheese melt smoothly.
- When choosing rutabaga, look for a nice firm one with fairly smooth skin. It should be heavy for its size because that indicates that it is a fresher rutabaga.
What goes well with this rutabaga soup?
Ohh I love this question. My absolute favourite thing about eating soup-especially blended soups-is loading them up with toppings. Bacon, nuts, seeds, cracker bits, more cheese, fresh herbs, you name it.
Once you're done topping this soup, why not serve it with some easy 2 Ingredient Flatbread? Or dip some Green Pea Fritters into it?
Tips for storing, freezing, and reheating
This rutabaga soup is a perfect candidate for freezing and reheating. Because it's blended, the texture is virtually unaffected by freezing.
- If storing leftovers, transfer the hot soup to a shallow container. The shallower the container the quicker it will cool. Do not let it sit out on the counter for a long time. Once it's completely cool, cover the container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- If you want to ensure you get the smoothest results possible, it's a good idea to leave the cheese out, and freeze it that way. Then, when you're ready to eat it, simply defrost it in the fridge and heat it in a pot on the stove. Add the cheese at that point and it will be lovely.
- I have also frozen it cheese and all, and it's just fine that way too.
- You might have to add a splash more water if the soup has become too thick.
- Do not reheat soup (or anything else really) more than once. For safety.
Hungry for more? Try these hearty soups next
Rutabaga Soup with Smoked Cheddar and Rosemary
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium rutabaga
- 1 apple granny smith
- 1 litre stock vegetable or chicken
- 125 millilitres dark beer optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon rosemary chopped, fresh or dried
- 150 grams smoked cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat
- Chop the onion roughly and add it to the pot with the butter, along with the salt
- Peel and chop the rutabaga and apple and add to the pot
- Allow the vegetables to sauté for 3-5 minutes, then add the beer (if using), along with the stock, rosemary, and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rutabaga and apple are fork-tender
- While the soup is simmering, grate the cheese and set aside.
- Remove the pot from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and blend the soup until smooth using the blending implement of your choice. For a smoother soup, use a high-powered blender like a Vitamix.
- Add the cheese to the soup a small handful at a time, and whisk or blend in between additions.
- If the soup is too thick, add stock or water until you reach the desired consistency.
- Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary, and black pepper if you like.
Really good! I ended up using about twice as much rutabaga as onion and apple, and I used duck fat instead of butter. A delight in the winter. Also, I wasn't sure if I should remove the bay leaf or rosemary before blending, but I just left them in and it turned out great.
Duck fat! Way to take it to the next level!!