Recipe: Creole Vegetable Soup

The fennel and turnips give this soup wonderful flavor.

Serves 8
    • 2 tbls. olive oil
    • 1 lb. diced Andouille sausage (optional)
    • 1/2 chopped onion
    • 1 julienned bulb of fennel
    • 4 sliced cloves of garlic
    • 1 medium yam
    • 1 medium turnip
    • 2 cups chopped turnip greens
    • 2 green zucchini
    • 1 12 oz. can of diced tomatoes in juice
    • 1 qt. chicken stock (or water to make vegetarian)
    • salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice yams and turnips into 3/4 inch cubes. Wash red potatoes. Leaving the skin on dice into 3/4 inch cubes.

In heavy soup pot heat olive oil. Add chopped onion, julienned fennel. Cook until onions begin to caramelize and begin to brown.

Optional: If you would like a heartier soup, I often make this with Andouille sausage. I dice it into ½ inch pieces. I omit the olive oil and sautee the sausage first then add onion etc.

Add garlic, yams, and turnips.

Add canned diced tomatoes with the juice and add the chicken stock or water. Let cook for 30 minutes.

Add the diced zucchini & turnip tops and let simmer for another 20 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper.

Regina Charboneau is the owner of Twin Oaks Bed & Breakfast in Natchez, Mississippi. She is the author of Regina's Table at Twin Oaks.