Rutabaga-Cardamom Soup

This is inspired by a Gordon Ramsay dish, Swede and Cardamom Soup. However, since I hate following recipes, this dish ended up becoming something different than what he made. I still used the same basic ingredients, cardamom and rutabaga, but with other spices and flavorings. It came out just like he said: fit for a king. 

If you do end up making this, I highly recommend not skipping the step of staining the soup. It really gives it a silken texture that is unlike anything else. It also intensifies the flavor. 

To make this recipe you'll need: 

1 whole onion, finely diced

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

2 lbs rutabagas, cubed

1 tbsp green cardamom pods

2 black cardamom pods

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

2 sprigs thyme

2 tbsp honey

1/8 cup white wine

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp honey liqueur (optional) 

Chicken stock to cover the vegetables (1-2 cups) 

150 ml cream

Freshly grated nutmeg

Thinly sliced radishes (garnish)

Extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil (garnish)

Slice the radishes paper thin and put them in a bowl of cold water in the fridge so they firm up. Let them sit there while you make the soup. 

Heat olive oil in a pot and fry the coriander and fennel seeds until they're fragrant, about a minute. 

Add the onions, celery, and thyme and sweat them off with a big pinch of salt for a few minutes until they're translucent. 

Now add the chopped rutabaga, cardamom, black cardamom, honey, wine, and honey liqueur. Cover with a lid and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the rutabagas are beginning to break down. 

Now add lemon juice and chicken stock. The exact amount of stock differs depending on how much water condenses in your pot. Just add chicken stock until it barely covers the rutabagas. 

It should smell and taste like a honey-glazed roasted chicken at this point. Don't forget to season as you go. Bring the stock up to the boil and add the cream. Once all the cream has been incorporated take it off the heat. 

Take the take the black cardamom out, take the seeds out of it, and put them back into the soup. Take the thyme sprigs out. Then, transfer the soup to a blender and puree it. Push it through a sieve, grate on nutmeg, and garnish with olive oil and radish slivers.