Touski Soup

Rank kitchen

By the end of April, the vegetables in the cold room are beginning to lose some of their lustre, although, with the right conditions and proper care, their quality remains quite respectable. When the garden is completely my thing at this time of year, I like to make myself a country-style soup made with the worthy representatives of root vegetables.

I call it souptage touski, because it's made from everything left in the cellar. I add Orca beans from the garden to boost the protein content of the preparation, a question of sustaining me in the marathon I undertake at this time of year, while I arrange the garden with an intensity that lasts until mid-June. I make a big pot of it so that I can warm it up when needed for a sustaining and comforting meal.

Touski Soup (10 servings)

Ingredients

• 250 ml dried beans (such as Orca, Cranberry or Pinto beans)
• 3 chopped onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 45 ml vegetable oil
• 250 ml of chopped carrots
• 250 ml diced rutabaga
• 250 ml diced celeriac
• 250 ml diced winter radish
• 1 beetroot, cubed
• 250 ml of shredded cabbage
• 2 firm-fleshed potatoes, cubed
• 2 liters of broth (preferably vegetable)
• 500 ml diced or pureed tomatoes
• 1 liter of water
• 3 bay leaves
• Thyme and/or oregano to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable cream or grated cheese for garnish

Preparation

Soak the beans for at least 8 hours before starting the preparation. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, brown the garlic and chopped onions in olive oil, then add the carrots, rutabaga, celeriac, radish, and beetroot in order, maintaining a good heat. Stir with a wooden spoon. Deglaze with the stock, add the tomato, swollen beans, bay leaves, thyme, and/or oregano, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. After half an hour, add the cabbage and potatoes. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes. Season. Serve topped with a drizzle of vegetable cream, a hot sauce, or grated cheese.

Variants

With this guide to making soup, you'll understand that the variations are endless. I could have added Jerusalem artichokes that had just been dug out of the ground. I hadn't had any parsnips since March, but this vegetable would have added a wonderful flavor to the soup. To make it more like minestrone, I could have topped it with pasta and bean segments.

If you don't have a cold storage room, you should know that you can still find Quebec roots on the market that have been stored for you by organic producers in your area. Be on the lookout for local offerings. They exist, you just have to find them. On that note, I wish you bon appétit. To whet your appetite, I'm announcing the next recipe: an Italian-style Jerusalem artichoke confit.

Yves Gagnon, author and seed producer