Rutabaga Recipes

Cream of Rutabaga Soup with Maple Syrup – 10/10/2011

As we write, we haven’t had time to try this recipe yet, but are posting it all the same before you despair of finding a good use for this end-of-season vegetable…

It comes from a small gem of a cookbook called Cuisiner les légumes oubliés du Québec written by Anne Samson and published by Les Publications Modus Vivendi. Anne Samson states that the book is the combined result of a love of healthy eating (la bonne bouffe) and an interest in local québécois dishes. A geography and environmental studies graduate, she is an advocate of the buy-local movement which not only favours the local economy but also seeks to reduce carbon emissions related to long-distance food transport.

You’ll find a few other recipes from Cuisiner… on our website, but you should consider adding a copy of the book to your personal cookbook collection if you don’t already own it…the recipes are easy and delicious. In the introduction to her book, the author says her goal was to “revisit certain vegetables or varieties of vegetables forsaken, or altogether forgotten, by consumers in recent years […] that are nevertheless delicious, accessible and affordable” – an objective we share at Arlington Gardens. In fact, we can confirm that you will find most of the vegetables mentioned in her book in our baskets at one time or another during the growing season.

Appetizer for 6

  • 30 ml (2 tbsps) butter
  • 30 ml (2 c. à soupe) olive oil
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 litre (4 cups) rutabaga, cubed
  • 750 ml (3 cups) chicken broth
  • 45 ml (3 tbsps) maple syrup
  • 250 ml (1 tasse) table cream (15%)
  • 1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
  • 1 pinch pepper
  1. Cook leek and shallot 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add rutabaga cubes and cook 3 more minutes.
  2. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat immediately and simmer approximately 30 minutes, or until the rutabaga is tender.
  3. Run through a blender, mixing until smooth.
  4. Return soup to the pot, and stir in maple syrup and cream.
  5. Add salt and pepper. Simmer a few minutes more, until hot.