swede and cardamom soup

...or better known as rutabaga in the US. Ruta what? You know, it's that ugly, odd colored vegetable that you've been avoiding in the store. Further proof that most people don't buy rutabagas? Both the cashier and manager didn't know what it was when I tried to check out (okay, it's either that or they're #fail at their jobs. Let's be nice and go with the former). Even really really, ridiculously bad looking vegetables have their place in the world and what better way to gussy them up than using them in a soup.

 (rutabaga - the really really, ridiculously good looking vegetable next to the onion)

This is part 3 of my Gordon Ramsay holiday posts and I really fell in love with this one. Rutabaga have a wonderful, sweet flavor once they're cooked and they pair brilliantly with the fragrant, refreshing cardamom. Also, because rutabagas are so cheap, you'll be able to feed an army of hungry people invading your house throughout the holidays.

(make sure you cut off both ends then cut around the outside of that outer ring - just like an orange)

Make sure you have a heavy, sharp knife to cut the rutabaga because they can be a little tough to work with. This is a soup that gets better as it ages in the fridge so make this a day or two in advance before your guests arrive for an easy starter.

Swede and Cardamom Soup

Adapted from Gordon Ramsay

Ingredients:

- 1 onion, diced

- 2 stalks of celery, sliced

- 2 rutabagas, rough dice

- few sprigs of thyme

- 1 tablespoon of cardamom seeds

- softened butter

- 2 tablespoons of honey

- 6 cups of chicken stock, at a simmer

- 1/3 cup heavy cream

- whole nutmeg to garnish

1) In a hot pot, add olive oil. Add in the diced onions, celery and sprigs of thyme. Sweat the vegetables down making sure it doesn't color over medium-low to medium heat.

2) Add in a tablespoon of butter and season lightly with salt/pepper. Sweat down until the onions become almost transparent.

3) Crush the cardamom seeds with the bottom of a pot and add them into the pot with the vegetables.

4) Add in the diced rutabaga. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

5) Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of honey into the hot pot and cover the pot. Steam the rutabaga for 20 - 25 minutes until they're softened. Check the rutabagas after 5 minutes of cooking. If they're starting to caramelize, add a couple tablespoons of water and cover again. This is to prevent the rutabagas from coloring. Add more water as necessary until finished.

(after roasting)

6) Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a simmer and once the rutabaga has softened, add chicken stock. Add enough stock to just cover the vegetables. Bring back up to a boil.

7) Once it's back up to a boil, add in the heavy cream.

8) Transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until it's smooth. Add a knob of butter to finish the soup and correct seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Repeat as needed.

9) Pass the soup through a sieve to catch any unwanted fibers. Make sure you get all of the juices out of the vegetables by using the back of a ladle to push the soup through.

10) Scoop the soup into a bowl and finish it off by grating some nutmeg over it. Drizzle olive oil around if you want to.

PS: I'm convinced that soups are the hardest things to take pictures of. Sheesh.