Sweet Red Bean Soup with Bitter Turnip Greens

You know those soups that make you feel at home the second you start cooking them? Yeah, that kind where the aroma just fills the whole kitchen? Well, red bean soup with turnip tops (or parsnip greens, as many people call them) is pretty much classic Portuguese soup, especially in the North of the country, and it’s the kind of recipe that warms you from the inside out hehehe ;D

Actually, this is one of those cool tricks with creamy soups, like pumpkin soup, carrot soup, cauliflower soup, or this red bean one, they tend to be really sweet soups, so you want something to cut through all that sweetness. One good option is, for example, a little spoonful of sour cream when serving, but another great one is adding something like turnip greens to give that bitterness that’ll cut through the creaminess perfectly and take it from a cloying soup to a phenomenal soup…

Not to mention it’s a super nutritious, comforting, and economical soup, one of those that yields well and actually tastes better the next day when reheated. It works perfectly as a main course with a good chunk of cornbread or as an extra special starter. These types of soups are the best because they have character, it’s creamy and sweet but also with a hint of bitterness, it’s delicious! Let’s check the recipe!

Sweet Red Bean Soup with Bitter Turnip Greens

Servings: 4
Time: 40mins
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★★
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On these chillier days, nothing beats a sweet cream of red beans with a touch of turnip greens, its a absolutely divine combination.

Ingredients

Red Beans – 200g (Already cooked and drained)
Carrots – 3 Large
Potato – 1
Garlic – 1 Clove
Turnip Greens – Approx. 150g
Olive Oil – A Drizzle
Pepper – To Taste
Coarse Salt – A Pinch
Salt – To Taste

Directions

Start by peeling the carrots, potatoes, and garlic, cut everything into small cubes and place in a small saucepan, cover with water and season with a pinch of salt (no need to season heavily, less is better now and you can adjust at the end), cook over medium heat until everything is tender and cooked through.
I used pre-cooked red beans from a jar, but if you want to cook beans, that’s fine, but ideally, do it the day before and save the cooking water to use in the soup later! ;D
While the carrots and potatoes are cooking, wash the turnip greens, drain and chop everything coarsely, then set aside.
When the vegetables are tender, add the red beans, remove from the heat, and blend everything well with a hand blender to create a smooth cream. I like a very thick cream, but of course, you can adjust it with a little more water (or water from cooking the red beans) to make it creamy to your liking.

Add the turnip greens and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until the greens are tender. That’s it! Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, add a drizzle of olive oil, or a little more water if it’s too thick. Bon appétit!

Notes & Tips: The smaller, greener shoots are less bitter and cook more quickly. Older ones can become tough and too bitter, so it’s a good idea to go with more tender greens.

If you’re making this soup to freeze, a good tip is to leave it a bit more liquid and separate into individual portions, because it will always get thicker after freezing (so a bit more liquid ensures that after defrosting it’s to your liking), and dividing into individual portions means you can always take out just the amount of soup you need at any time.

Cook the greens for only 5-10 minutes to keep their vibrant green color and prevent them from falling apart. So ideally add them when the soup is practically done. If you cook them too long they’ll turn brownish and lose a bit of texture.

This recipe for Sweet Red Bean Soup with Bitter Turnip Greens was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Sopa Cremosa de Feijão Vermelho com Rama de Nabo foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.