Dishing Up the Dirt

Rustic Turnip & Lentil Stew with Garlic-Parmesan Herbed Croutons

 

I didn’t grow up eating a lot of turnips however, after 6 1/2 years of farming this root vegetable I’ve learned a thing or two about how amazing they are. Fresh turnips straight from the ground (with a little dirt still on them) are one of my absolute favorite vegetables to bite in to. They’re perfectly sweet with a hint of spice and I love them in their raw state the best. However, this time of the year it’s nice to prepare turnips in warm dishes- especially after a cold afternoon of harvesting hundreds of pounds of them. This stew is definitely what the doctor ordered.  This meal is a lovely combination of sweet/spicy turnips, creamy potatoes, hearty lentils and the best damn garlic-parmesan croutons in the world! To be honest, the croutons are so good that they’re a complete game changer for us. We’ll be topping all of our future winter stews with these croutons from now on.

Grab a spoon, pour a glass of red wine and enjoy a cozy evening at home with a nourishing farm fresh meal. Cheers from Tumbleweed!

Rustic Lentil & Turnip Stew with Garlic-Parmesan Herbed Croutons

Prep Time: 20 minutes    Cook Time: 45 minutes    Serves: 6

Stew
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
  • 2 small leeks, diced (white and light green parts only)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch of turnips, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (reserve the greens)
  • 1 large russet potato, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (about 1 1/4 cups worth)
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 cups french green lentils
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6-8 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 bunch of turnips greens (about 2 cups worth) roughly chopped (can substitute with spinach, arugula or kale if the greens of your turnips aren't healthy)
  • salt + pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnish
Garlic Parmesan Herbed Croutons
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, sliced thin lengthwise
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 loaf of rustic style bread, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

  1. In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and leek and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turnips (not the greens yet!) potato, and spices. Cook until fragrant. About 2 minutes.
  2. Add the lentils, bay leaf and 6 cups of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, adding more stock (or water) if need be. Stir in the turnip greens and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep the soup on low heat until ready to serve.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare the croutons by combining the garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and oil in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and in a large bowl combine the bread cubes with the oil/herb mixture. Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until golden brown. About 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the bread with the parmesan cheese.
  4. Ladle the soup between bowls and top with the croutons and minced parsley. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if need be.

Notes

*If your turnip greens don't look good you can substitute with spinach, arugula or kale *Croutons adapted from epicurious *Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Taste test as you go *Have fun in the kitchen


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5 thoughts on “Rustic Turnip & Lentil Stew with Garlic-Parmesan Herbed Croutons

  1. We all love turnips in this house, thanks for a great recipe!

  2. Kristina says:

    Yum! I’m definitely gunna try this recipe out soon!

  3. Kristie Saumure says:

    This was amazing! Thanks for another great recipe.

  4. Liz Fisher says:

    We had a ton of turnips from the farm and didn’t know what to do with them — Made this recipe this evening and it’s great! Thank you 🙂 Substituted a mild white sweet potato for the russet and added a couple of carrots for color and sweetness. We will definitely be using this recipe again. It tastes so good!

  5. Megan says:

    So honestly I made this recipe with a very lackluster attitude because I got turnips and kale in my weekly produce box, and I was not too jazzed about either one. I wanted to find a recipe to get rid of both of them pronto. I was dreading the complaints from my kids when I set this dish on the table. I was dreading my man’s silence as he dutifully ate it. BOY WAS I WRONG! Everyone said they loved it and ate everything on their plates—no complaints from the kids, and my guy had 3rds! Enjoyed it very much and will make it again. I did not have onions, so I used onion powder. I did not have turnip greens so I used a combo of kale and arugula. It came out great. Thank you for the delicious recipe!

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