High Tunnel Turnip Soup

Difficulty rating: 2 chef's hat (out of 5)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 90 minutes 

Potatoes mellow out the slightly bitter flavor of turnips, making this the perfect cold-weather soup. Stir finely chopped turnip greens into the soup in the last 25 minutes of cooking.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 pounds turnips, peeled and diced
• 2 pounds potatoes (Russets work best), peeled and diced
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth or water

For Garnish:

• 4 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream

Directions:
Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add turnips, potatoes and broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until turnips and potatoes are very tender, about 1 hour. Using a potato masher, roughly mash the soup mixture until all large pieces of turnip and potato are incorporated. Alternatively, puree soup with an immersion blender. Return soup to a low boil and continue to heat until thickened, about 20 minutes more. Serve soup topped with bacon, green onions and cheese.