Lifestyle | Food of the month: Turnips

Deirdre, our Health and Wellness officer, educates the GetSmarter team about the chosen food of the month.

Before potatoes were abundant beyond South America, turnips were everyday staples, particularly in Europe during the Middle Ages.

The history

The origins of the turnip are vague but it may have come from northeastern Europe or Asia many thousands of years ago. Thriving in a cold, damp climate, turnips were the food of Europe’s poor, the majority of the population. At some undetermined point in history the turnip gave up its role as everyday vegetable to the more glamorous potato.

As a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, the turnip is considered a top veggie when it comes to disease-preventing phytochemicals. Studies have shown that these compounds help the body ward off and detoxify cancer-causing substances. Turnips are also low in calories, a good source of calcium and iron, and high in vitamin C. In fact, turnip juice has twice the amount of vitamin C as orange juice.

Try this great turnip recipes this winter to make the most of this underestimated vegetable:

Italian Turnip Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
500 g turnips, peeled and cut into a 1 cm dice
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup rice, arborio if you have it
salt and pepper

Garnish: minced parsley and 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan

Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan and bring to a froth. Toss in the turnips and saute until brown, about 5 or so minutes. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the rice and cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in salt and pepper to taste, then parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Ladle into bowls and pass the extra Parmesan separately.

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