Scottish Neeps & Tatties Soup
A hearty potato and turnip soup from the Scots, who don’t scrimp on flavor! (with an oat bannock on the side).
SCOTTISH NEEPS AND TATTIES SOUP
4 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots peeled and diced (or 9 small carrots)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium rutabaga or 2 large turnips, peeled and diced
2 leeks, stem and green woody stalks removed
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups half and half or milk
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
-Leeks can be difficult to clean of sand and dirt, so wash them well. Cut off and root ends and thick dark green parts. Cut leeks into 1-inch lengths, separating rings as much as possible, then soak in water for 15 mintues to allow dirt to come out and settle to bottom. Swish with hand 3 or 4 times during soaking, then drain. After the leeks are clean, give them a rough chop.
- Peel and dice the carrots, rutabaga, and potatoes.
-Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil and butter into a large soup pot and saute leeks over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the leeks are soft and wilted. About 5 minutes.
-Next, add the potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, spices, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes or until the root vegetables are tender.
-Let soup cool slightly and blend half of it in a blender (or use an immersion blender) leaving the other half unblended to keep some chunks of vegetables in the thick and hearty soup.
-Stir in the half and half and bring the soup to a simmer, then taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Serve hot, with garnished sliced almonds and some fresh chopped parsley.
-Serves 6 - 8
Garnish soup with sliced almonds and chopped parsley and serve with an oat bannock for a truly Scottish rendition.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
*Ratabaga, which tends to be less bitter, is preferred by a lot of people to the turnips in this soup.
*If you don’t have leeks on hand or don’t care for them, one yellow onion, peeled and diced works well as a substitute and adds the needed oniony base to the soup.
*You may use ground nutmeg instead of freshly grated nutmeg if you prefer.
*A low carb version of the soup can be made by leaving out the potatoes and using only the rutabaga instead of the turnips. Also use heavy cream instead of the half and half or milk. But at that point you won’t have Neeps (turnips) and Tatties (potatoes) at all!
