Warm up with creamy rutabaga, parsnip and cheddar soup

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Warm up with creamy rutabaga, parsnip and cheddar soup

2026-01-14 21:40 Last Updated At：22:00

You have to become a little crafty at this time of year about getting vegetables onto the table in ways that still feel interesting. In many places, the cold has settled in, farmers’ market offerings have thinned out, and we’re left with the hardiest of fruits and vegetables.

Root vegetables are the stars now, but they do benefit from a bit of inspiration when figuring out how to use them.

Enter soup. Even the most stoic vegetables can be coaxed into something soft, sweet and yielding. In this Creamy Rutabaga, Parsnip and Cheddar Soup, they're simmered until ready to be puréed into a smooth potage that warms the soul and happily anchors a meal.

This is the kind of soup you can’t stop spooning up, full of earthy flavor from rutabagas and parsnips — the kind of vegetables that linger in the produce drawer, quietly daring us to figure out their fate. But if you ignore them long enough… well, then the rutabaga wins.

Not this time. And yes, I see you too, parsnips.

The color of the cheddar cheese — white, yellow or deep orange — will affect the hue of the soup. There’s no right or wrong, just something to keep in mind. The parsley is optional, and the sour cream adds a lovely creaminess, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker. This soup is forgiving, flexible and very much on your side.

If you have an immersion blender you can puree the soup right in the pot, which saves time, skips having to pull out the blender or food processor, and eliminates the need to transfer hot contents back and forth.

This could certainly be a first course, but it’s substantial and comforting enough to be the main event, especially when paired with a crisp green salad.

First, some tips on choosing, storing and cooking the rutabagas:

• Pick rutabagas that feel heavy for their size with firm, smooth skin.

• Medium-size rutabagas tend to be sweeter and less woody.

• A food-grade waxy coating is normal, often added to rutabagas to extend their shelf life. Just peel it off before cooking.

• Store unpeeled, unwashed rutabagas in the refrigerator crisper. They’ll keep well for several weeks.

• If greens are attached, remove them before storing.

Prepping Rutabagas

• Trim the ends, then peel with a sharp knife or sturdy vegetable peeler.

• Cut into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.

• Rutabagas take a bit longer than potatoes to cook, but they soften beautifully.

Serves 6

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped onion

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 large rutabagas, peeled and diced

2 parsnips, peeled and sliced

5 cups less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon pureed chipotles in adobo

1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

To serve (optional):

Chopped parsley

Sour cream or crème fraiche

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and the celery and sauté for about 4 minutes, until tender. Add the rutabagas and parsnips and stir, then pour in the broth, raise the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

2. Use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables right in the pot, or carefully transfer the vegetables and some of the liquid in batches to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, if needed, and over low heat stir in the chipotles in adobo and sprinkle in the cheese slowly, stirring as you do, until the cheese is melted. Add the sour cream and heat until heated through. Serve hot, with chopped parsley and a bloop of sour cream or crème fraiche if desired.

Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.

For more AP food stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes

South African soldiers dismantle illegal mining operations near Johannesburg as miners flee

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African soldiers deployed to high-crime areas have dismantled illegal gold mining operations in a community near Johannesburg, forcing some illegal miners to flee and abandon their equipment.

Police and the army recovered various tools used by illegal miners, including generators and drill machines — equipment documented by an Associated Press photographer on Thursday.

Makeshift trenches with food supplies and utensils belonging to the miners were also dismantled, with clothing items left behind after the miners fled the site in Randfontein, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the west of Johannesburg.

The operations were part of a rare move by the government to deploy soldiers in some of the country's most crime-ridden areas, including in the Western Cape province that includes the city of Cape Town and the economic hub province of Gauteng.

With dozens of abandoned mine shafts lining the outskirts of Johannesburg, illegal mining is rife in the area as heavily armed crime syndicates and informal miners known as “zama zamas” enter the shafts in search of leftover deposits of gold or other precious minerals.

It is illegal to mine without a government license, and in some places, the conditions are dangerous.

Other provinces with abandoned shafts, like the North West and Mpumalanga, have also experienced high levels of illegal mining, sometimes with tragic consequences.

Authorities say there are an estimated 30,000 illegal miners in South Africa, operating in some of its 6,000 abandoned mine shafts.

The government has noted an increase in illegal mining, which it estimates is worth more than $4 billion a year just in gold lost to criminal syndicates.

The trade is believed to be predominantly controlled by migrants from neighboring Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, stoking anger among South African communities against both the criminal bosses and foreigners living in the local community.

Responding to questions from lawmakers on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the deployment of the troops would take place alongside other measures, such as strengthening anti-gang units and illegal mining task teams.

“The police will also be working with the National Prosecuting Authority on multi-disciplinary task teams to target the leadership, finances, firearms and logistics of these criminal networks,” Ramaphosa said.