Rooty Fruity Soup

Roots and fruit together make Rooty Fruity Soup!  That's what Tom called this Turnip and Pear Soup when he tried it and had a look of surprised joy on his face.  The truth-in-tasting for my soups is when Tom tries them and likes them enough to want more, even if he doesn't depend on pureed soup like I do. This soup definitely passed and surpassed the truth-in-tasting test.   It has a sweet undertone from the pears, which is complimented by the earthiness of the turnips and highlighted by the fresh lemon thyme.  This soup has a distinctly different taste than any other soup I have in my repertoire, and variety becomes paramount when much of my diet is comprised of pureed soups.

The original recipe is from The Soup Bible.  I made only minor changes to it, by using coconut oil rather than olive oil and reducing the amount of vegetable broth to make it a bit thicker. 

If you haven't read my Food Challenges tab on my home page, you are likely wondering why I use coconut oil rather than olive oil in my recipes.  Coconut oil is a more readily digestible oil for people with pancreatic insufficiency because it is a medium-chain triglyceride unlike other oils. I learned this from an oncologist when I was hospitalized a couple of years ago. This particular oncologist  possesses an extraordinary knowledge of nutrition and  the effect on health.  I will make a separate post to describe the benefits of coconut oil more in-depth for those of you who are interested, and maybe even skeptical, as I was initially.



Ingredients for Rooty Fruity Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 white turnips, peeled and finely chopped
3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and finely chopped       
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint




Lemon Thyme

  
Preparation:
In a saucepan, heat oil and add onion, turnips and pears.  Cook over gentle heat for 3 - 4 minutes.  Pour in the broth, add lemon thyme and bring to a boil.  Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender.  Remove from heat and cool a little.  Blend until smooth using an immersion blender.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped mint.

Mint

Nutrition: (Analysis by Calorie Count)
Servings per recipe: 5
Serving Size: Generous 1 cup                              
Calories: 136
Total Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg                                          
Sodium: 151 mg
Total Carbs: 27 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 3