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
- 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 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.
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.
Rutabaga Soup with Smoked Cheddar and Rosemary
This silky smoky rutabaga soup will make a rutabaga lover out of anyone. It's the perfect thing to cozy up with in the fall and winter.
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, 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 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.
Notes
The addition of beer in this recipe is totally optional, however, alcohol does help to ensure that the cheese melts smoothly into the soup instead of becoming clumpy or grainy.
Another way to ensure that the cheese melts smoothly is to choose a cheese that has a high moisture content—which means one that isn't too mature. Medium-smoked cheddar is perfect.
