Kohlrabi, Sweet Potato, and Chard Soup
Here's the full ingredients:
2 onions
1Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
6 smallish purple kohlrabi
1 sprig fresh sage, stems stripped and leaves minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, stems stripped and leaves minced
4 small fresh bay leaves (may want to put these in cheesecloth for easier removal)
2 qts. chicken broth (veg. broth would be fine)
1 large Japanese sweet potato (with creamy flesh)
4 v. small garnet yams (probably about equiv to one very large garnet yam; this had a yam:sweet potato ratio of about 3:2)
1 bunch chard (rainbow or white is fine)
1 handful chopped parsley
black pepper to taste
I also had some summer squash for this soup, but was not able to get them to fit into the pot.
Chop the onions and cook them over medium low heat in the olive oil and salt until they start to go golden. (I actually spaced out so they got a little caramelized, and that was fine.) Add the chopped kohlrabi and herbs; I didn't bother to peel these. Don't cook this long, just long enough to get the herbs to mingle with the onions and the kohlrabi to soften a little.
Add everything else and bring to a simmer. Add water if there's not quite enough liquid. Simmer about 30-40 minutes; make sure the kohlrabi is soft enough.
*remove bay leaves* and zap with an immersion blender until it's a coarse puree.
This is not a super pretty soup because the color combinations are a little strange, but it's very nutritious, and if you leave the puree a little coarse it can look interesting. The turnip-like dryness of the kohlrabi balances really nicely with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Kohlrabi is kind of a secret ingredient in soups; it isn't quite a turnip or a parsnip though it has some flavor elements of both; it's milder and very nice, and cooking brings out its flavor without making it overpowering. The chard is mostly there for extra nutrition but also contributes a balancing flavor to the sweet potatoes.
This could be made a pretty color by using green kohlrabi (and perhaps peeling it), only Japanese sweet potatoes and peeling them, and white/green chard. You lose some nutrition by peeling the vegetables, though.
Other herbs could be used; I used what I had fresh on hand, and my rather strong variety of sage (Cleveland sage) adds a nice flavor to it. Several sprigs of fresh thyme would substitute very nicely for the sage if you don't like sage.
2 onions
1Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
6 smallish purple kohlrabi
1 sprig fresh sage, stems stripped and leaves minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, stems stripped and leaves minced
4 small fresh bay leaves (may want to put these in cheesecloth for easier removal)
2 qts. chicken broth (veg. broth would be fine)
1 large Japanese sweet potato (with creamy flesh)
4 v. small garnet yams (probably about equiv to one very large garnet yam; this had a yam:sweet potato ratio of about 3:2)
1 bunch chard (rainbow or white is fine)
1 handful chopped parsley
black pepper to taste
I also had some summer squash for this soup, but was not able to get them to fit into the pot.
Chop the onions and cook them over medium low heat in the olive oil and salt until they start to go golden. (I actually spaced out so they got a little caramelized, and that was fine.) Add the chopped kohlrabi and herbs; I didn't bother to peel these. Don't cook this long, just long enough to get the herbs to mingle with the onions and the kohlrabi to soften a little.
Add everything else and bring to a simmer. Add water if there's not quite enough liquid. Simmer about 30-40 minutes; make sure the kohlrabi is soft enough.
*remove bay leaves* and zap with an immersion blender until it's a coarse puree.
This is not a super pretty soup because the color combinations are a little strange, but it's very nutritious, and if you leave the puree a little coarse it can look interesting. The turnip-like dryness of the kohlrabi balances really nicely with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Kohlrabi is kind of a secret ingredient in soups; it isn't quite a turnip or a parsnip though it has some flavor elements of both; it's milder and very nice, and cooking brings out its flavor without making it overpowering. The chard is mostly there for extra nutrition but also contributes a balancing flavor to the sweet potatoes.
This could be made a pretty color by using green kohlrabi (and perhaps peeling it), only Japanese sweet potatoes and peeling them, and white/green chard. You lose some nutrition by peeling the vegetables, though.
Other herbs could be used; I used what I had fresh on hand, and my rather strong variety of sage (Cleveland sage) adds a nice flavor to it. Several sprigs of fresh thyme would substitute very nicely for the sage if you don't like sage.