It’s been cool in Joburg recently and when the sun goes away and the sky is overcast, my taste buds yearn for something hot and spicy.

Last month I bought fresh turnip at the market and freezed it after I peeled and par-boiled them. Turnips are so low in calories and because of this, I mixed in some healthy carbs like carrots and sweet potato for a heartier meal.

Chuck in some garlic and we’ve got a powerful soup that’s not only tasty, but healing.

Fun facts: Turnip is NOT a root vegetable. It’s actually brocolli’s cousin. Revelation, right? Turnip is a cruciferous vegetable like kale and it’s very low in calories and fiber dense. The smaller the turnip, the sweeter it is. Bigger ones have a woody, peppery taste. If you manage to get fresh turnip with it’s leaves, don’t discard it. You can wash and add it to food or use it in salads.

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced

6 small turnips cut into halves (parboiled and peeled if you’re freezing)

250 g baby carrots

3 small sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. In a heavy based pot, heat a tiny amount of oil and fry onions until it starts to sweat.

2. Add, garlic and after a minute, add all your vegetables to the pot.

3. Lower the temperature to medium and braise all ingredients for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add boiling water to the pot until all the vegetables are covered.

5. Add salt and cinnamon and simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Take of the heat and let cool.

7. Blitz your soup with a hand blender or in a blender. Add more water until you reach your desired consistency.

8. Serve with cracked pepper and toast.