If you're a fan of vegan turnip recipes, look no further than this Lemony Lentil Turnip Chowder. It's creamy, lemony, and full of healthy ingredients.
If you've been searching for vegan or vegetarian turnip recipes--even if you've never tried turnips--I think you're gonna LOVE this soup. In fact, it's one of the most popular recipes on my site.
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Why I love this simple vegan turnip soup
This chowder is made special by a tantalizing complement of tastes and textures.
Much like my lemony corn chowder, the tanginess of lemon and fresh grassiness of dill come together in a bright explosion of flavor in this soup.
A lite coconut milk + veggie broth base makes it creamy and just a bit rich.
And red lentils not only add fiber and nutrition, they cook up soft and yellow, which lends a thicker texture and lovely color to the recipe. (Check out my dal recipe for another golden-colored soup made with red lentils.)
Finally, the slight bite of the turnips (they taste a bit like a very mellow radish) add a perfect counter to the rich creaminess. YUMMY!!!
And of course, it's healthy. This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, and oil free. It does have a few grams of saturated fat from the coconut milk, but you can swap that out if you like.
Ingredients
- turnips - I used white turnips, which are actually white and purple. Choose small to medium sized turnips for the best flavor.
- red lentils
- light coconut milk - or substitute plain, unsweetened plant milk
- lemon - juice and zest
- fresh dill - or use dried
- yellow onion
- garlic
- celery
- celery seed
- vegetable broth - choose a light-colored broth with a mild flavor
- pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
Why use turnips in this chowder?
Fruits and vegetables have unique nutritional profiles that offer different health benefits--and would you believe, our bodies are actually built with specific receptors for specific fruits and veggies? So yes, diversity in our diet matters!
So here, we mix things up a little by using turnips rather than the traditional potatoes one typically expects in a chowder.
I love turnips for their slightly bitter, almost radish-like flavor. I also consider it a bonus whenever I can incorporate ingredients from the produce aisle other than my old faves.
Step-by-step instructions
If you're a multi-tasker like me, you'll appreciate that you can do your prep in steps. For example, while the onions, garlic and celery are sautéing, you have time to dice your turnips and rinse your lentils.
Then, while the turnips and lentils are cooking, you can get out the blender, chop your dill, and squeeze and zest your lemon.
And before you know it, soups on!
Follow these photos and instructions to help make it great, every time. Please also see the full recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Step 1. Sauté the onion, garlic and celery.
Step 2. Add the turnips, lentils and celery seed, and stir.
Step 3. Add the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Step 4. Add the lemon zest and juice.
Step 5. Blend some of the soup in a blender, or use an immersion blender and blend in the pot.
Step 6. Stir in the fresh dill and serve.
Pro tips
Immersion blender. For the quickest result with less clean up, use an immersion blender to process some--about half--of the soup until creamy, while leaving the rest chunky. To make sure you still have chunks of turnip (if desired), blend for only about 15-30 seconds.
Quality ingredients. Good ingredients are important in most recipes, but here, small to medium turnips that aren't too bitter or sharp, ripe lemons and the freshest dill you can find really pay off.
Taste your vegetable broth. Before making any soup with vegetable broth, taste it first to make sure you like the flavor. I find some packaged broths to be too strong or even a little bitter, especially when carrots are a main ingredient.
Substitutions and variations
Check out these ideas for ingredient substitutions, and creative ways to adapt this recipe to your liking. I haven't tried all of these myself, but please give them a try if you don't have everything you need on hand or just like to experiment.
Substitutions
- Coconut milk. This is probably the most commonly substituted ingredient in this recipe, as some people need or desire to avoid all saturated fat. Plant milk works well, or just add more broth. You could also substitute some cashew cream (soaked cashews + broth processed in a high speed blender.
- Turnips. I've used potatoes and they're great. Also, parsnips or celeriac would probably work well. You could try carrots, too.
- Red lentils. I haven't tried this, but creamy white beans like cooked cannellini beans would likely work well here. (Make sure to use cooked, or you'll need to increase the liquid and the cooking time substantially if you use dried.) Yellow split peas might also work, but again, would require more liquid + longer cooking.
- Onion. Leeks are a nice substitution in this soup.
- Celery seed. I love the little extra zip in adds, but you can skip it or use a pinch of celery salt instead.
Variations
- Turnip Leek Soup. As mentioned above, substitute leeks for the onion.
- Carrot Turnip Soup. Add a couple of diced carrots for color and flavor.
- Roasted Turnip Soup. For a deeper flavor, roast your diced turnips on a sheet pan at 400 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes, and add to the soup after the lentils are soft. You could roast your onion and garlic too, if you felt like it. I'd roast them in big pieces, then chop them up before adding them to the soup.
I like this chowder with a simple arugula salad. I think the peppery taste of arugula is the perfect complement to the slightly sharp turnips, the tangy lemon, and the creamy base.
You could also dollop on a spoonful of plant-based yogurt or almond ricotta cheese for even more creaminess.
For an even heartier soup, you could stir in some cooked whole grains like brown rice, farro, bulgar or barley.
FAQs
Peel and dice them into bite sized pieces, then add them to your soup just like would potatoes. They have more fiber, so they need to cook slightly longer.
Turnips are somewhere between a potato and a radish in texture and flavor. They're a bit firmer and sharper than potato, with not quite as much bite as a radish.
They should not taste overly bitter, however. If so, you probably got your hands on a turnip that was too big or old.
Yes. Turnips are actually a cruciferous vegetable like kale or cabbage, and have many health benefits.
Turnips are also lower in calories and higher in vitamins and minerals than potatoes, so they're a great substitute in many recipes.
Store this recipe in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Happy, whole food plant-based cooking, y'all!
-Elizabeth xo
I LOVE hearing from you! Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, or drop me a note in the comments.
More plant-based soups and stews
📖 Recipe
Lemony Lentil Turnip Chowder [Vegan]
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 1 pound turnips peeled and ½ inch diced (about 2 medium or 3 small turnips.)
- 1 cup red lentils
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh dill chopped (+ more for garnish, if desired)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 13.5 ounce can light coconut milk (or sub plant milk if you need to avoid saturated fat - see notes)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon about 1 lemon
- pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery, and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft.
- Add the turnips, lentils and celery seed, and mix well until everything is coated and hot.
- Add vegetable broth and coconut milk (or plant milk), and heat until it almost begins to boil. Then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the turnips and lentils are tender, 15-20 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and zest.
- Ladle 3 cups of the soup into a blender and blend on medium speed until just creamy, being careful to allow steam to escape. Don't over blend. Add the blended soup back to the pot. Or, use an immersion blender and blend half the soup in the pot-see notes.
- Add the chopped dill, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir.
- Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh dill, if desired.
Notes
- Saturated fat. If you want to avoid saturated fat, you can replace the light coconut milk with plant milk. But if you do occasionally include light coconut milk in your diet, it adds a nice flavor to this soup.
- Blender. For the quickest result with less clean up, use an immersion blender to process some--about half--of the soup until creamy, while leaving the rest chunky. To make sure you still have chunks of turnip (if desired), blend for only about 15-30 seconds. But if you want to have complete control over how much soup gets blended, use a regular blender to blend half the soup.
Meg O
I just made this, I missed out the dill (just need to buy some) and had to use lime instead of lemon and no rind as I don't have a grater but... it tastes SO good so I can't imagine how good it tastes if I follow the recipe properly. Thank you!
Off to serve another bowl now 🙂
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Meg, I love that you were able to improvise to make this soup! I might have to try it with lime 🙂 Have a lovely day, and thanks so much for your kind words.
freda kinsey
Yes wow. A very tasty dish. I used red lentils. Used sumac instead of salt. Didn’t have celery seeds either. Used parsley instead. Put it on top of pearl barley. Thanks for this recipe.
Elizabeth Shah
You're so welcome, glad you enjoyed it.
Andrew
Serve hot or cold?
Elizabeth Shah
I would recommend hot. I haven't tried it cold, but if that's your thing, go for it. 🙂
Renae
Wow, Elizabeth, this recipe is a real keeper! Every time I go to the grocery store, I buy something in the produce department that I have never had, or haven't had in a very long time. This week, it was turnips. I did a quick search online for a vegan turnip recipe and I am delighted yours was the first one to pop up! This chowder is delicious, quick, easy, and absolutely gorgeous to look at! Home run! For anyone who thinks they don't like turnips, they haven't had this chowder!! Thank you!
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Ranae, Love that you're eating ALL the veggies! And thanks for your kind comments. 🙂
M.K. Smith
So good, so easy! I used butter instead of water for the first step, and added 1/4 cup plain yogurt to give it some fat. It's not vegan that way, but it adds just a little more creaminess to this already fantastic recipe.
Elizabeth Shah
Thrilled that you liked it!
Lynn Sargent
I didn't like the texture of the turnips in the soup. I ended up blending the whole thing, but it tasted off.
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Lynn, Sorry you didn't like the soup! Cooked turnips should have a texture just like potatoes, so perhaps they were under or over cooked?
Emily
Looveedd it!!
Elizabeth Shah
Yay!!! So happy to hear it, Emily!
Nicole
Wow! What a fantastic blend of flavors! Very happy that I chose this recipe to use up some turnips in the fridge.
Elizabeth Shah
Much thanks, Nicole. I'm very happy too. 🙂 Don't you just love the tangy bite of turnips?!
Gabriella Wilcox
Hey I'm so excited to try this recipe tonight. We keep getting turnips in our vegetable boxes and I'm determined to like them in something.
I was wondering, how long will this keep in the fridge?
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Gabriella, this will keep about 4-5 days. Enjoy!
Jennifer
WOW! Talk about a flavor explosion! You should've started off talking about how mind blowing this is!! I was not prepared, I was just trying to figure out what to do with turnips lol.
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Jennifer, so glad this exceeded your expectations! We love this one, too--just made it a few days ago in fact. 🙂
Lee
I’m new to using/eating turnips but received a bag full from my organic csa last week. This was a wonderful introduction. I did add a tablespoon of Miso instead of salt after eating my first bowl. So yummy! Thanks so much for a great easy recipe!
Elizabeth Shah
So glad you liked this Lee! I've grown to love turnips, especially in this soup. Miso is an excellent salt substitute, too. 🙂
Tammy
Thank you for a great recipe. I really enjoyed this. I even liked it before adding the lemon and dill for a different flavor profile. This was a nice change of pace from soups with potatoes. Definitely going in the rotation.
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Tammy, thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! It's absolutely one of our favorites too. Thanks for your comments.
Cheryl
Outstanding!
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Cheryl, So glad you enjoyed this soup!! Thanks for your comment, it's much appreciated. 🙂
Sarah Hill
This soup is so good, SO SO good. The only change i would make next time is to make sure and double it!!! Thank you for a wonderful recipe I'm happy I came across your blog. Seriously can't get over how good it is, i'm making it again next week
Elizabeth Shah
Hi Sarah, Thanks for your lovely comments about this lemony lentil turnip chowder recipe! I'm so thrilled that you like it. It's definitely a favorite at our house, too. Glad you found the site, and hope you find some other recipes to try as well. Take care, Elizabeth
Simon Nightingale
I make lots of soups & wanted something a bit different so I thought I'd try this.
I've never used turnips & not a big fan of dill but Elizabeth this chowder is sensational!
Thank you so much for sharing.
elizabeth
Hello Simon, I'm so glad you gave this soup a try--especially since you're not a dill fan! Thanks for taking the time to write to me. I'm thrilled that you like this chowder so much. It's one of my favorites, too. 🙂
Chris
It took me a while to find the comment box, but here it is. Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe. I told my husband I was going to make a turnip soup, and he told me he does not like turnips. Who knew. I went ahead anyway and it tasted pretty good to me! Just as I finished cooking, two friends arrived. I offered them tea or coffee, and they asked what I was making, and opted for a bowl of soup instead. Then they wanted seconds, and I just about managed to take enough out of the pot for me and my husband for our supper before they would eat the lot. And it was gone! Definitely a new top of the list favourite for this family! Easy and delicious! Now that I have found the website, I am all gaga about lots of recipes. Next will be the Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bolognese, and I have already bought a larger supply of turnips in case we get more visitors who would prefer a bowl of soup to a cup of something!
Amazingly, MADISON is the only town in the midwest I have ever been to. The friend I stayed with in Glasgow to learn English when I was still at school moved to Madison, where her Dad was a lecturer at the University.(I am originally from Germany). We now live half the year just North of London, the other half in South Florida. So your recipes will be doing the rounds around the world! Keep up the good work.
elizabeth
Hi Chris!
Thank you SO much for sharing this. (And for taking the time to find the 'leave a comment box' on my site.) I can’t tell you how much it makes my day! I absolutely LOVE your story. Sounds like your husband likes turnips after all! This soup is one of our favorites, too. My husband’s colleague had a new baby, and we brought them this soup and bread. They loved it.
I hope you like the other recipes you try. The Bolognese is a great choice--probably my all time favorite on the whole site.
Wow, so cool that you've been to Madison. If you had to pick just one Midwest town, it's a pretty good one. South Florida is pretty nice too--especially in the winter.
Chris, I'm so glad we found each other. 🙂 Happy cooking to you, my new friend!
Chris
After yesterday's success with the lemony turnip soup. I went out and bought more turnips, and doubled the ingredients. I have lots of Systema pots that are great for freezing soup. Good single portion, and my husband's culinary skills enable him to warm one up for himself when I am out. Changed today's recipe slightly: Did not have celery seeds, so I added some Fennel Seeds. I also had some Cauliflower stalks left from the cauliflower and chickpea curry that's bubbling for tomorrow, and I also added a couple of chopped parsnips, as I am particularly fond of them. Also to comply with Dr Fuhrmann's G-Bombs, I added ground dried mushrooms; I tend to put that in all my soups, So slightly different taste, but still delicious. Then I saw the warm Kale salad on the front page........the Parpadelle noodles await the Walnut and mushroom pasta. Could not get any Miso Paste today, so the cheese sauce will have to wait. I am going to be a busy bee in the kitchen. Thanks for ;your inspiring website!
elizabeth
Wow Chris, You have been busy! I always tell people trying to adopt a plant-based lifestyle to get in the kitchen and cook like their life depends on it. You clearly have this one mastered!! Love all of your adaptations. I always look at a recipe as a great place to start, but substituting and experimenting are part of the creative process, and we all have different tastes. Ha! Love the note about your husband's culinary skills! :))) He's quite fortunate that your culinary skills seem to be quite superb. It sounds like you both eat very well. Happy cooking!
jo
Hello! Everyone I have made this recipe for just loves it. (as do I). I am undated with turnips that I emptied out of the root cellar to make room for this year’s veggies, so I’d like to make a large quantity of this soup and freeze it. Do you know if it freezes well? Thanks!
Elizabeth Shah
Wow Jo, I'm thrilled to hear it! And congrats on the abundance of turnips. 🙂 To be honest, I've never frozen this soup! Even when I make an extra big batch we end up eating it all or giving some away to neighbors. I suspect it would freeze just fine, but to be safe, you could make the recipe without the coconut milk and add that when you thaw and re-heat. I'm guessing the turnips might get a little extra soft, but that would not bother me personally (like potatoes in frozen stew). Or, you could just make sure they're undercooked and still firm before you freeze, and finish cooking when you re-heat. Enjoy, and best of luck!
Alison
We've made this three times and have loved it each time; I think it will definitely be a staple for years to come! I've already passed on your recipe to two different friends but I also wanted to give my compliments to the chef. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
elizabeth
Alison, thank you SO much for your kind words! I'm thrilled that you love this soup; it's one of my favorites, too. And thanks for sharing with your friends. By far, the best part of creating these recipes, is finding out that someone, somewhere is enjoying them. Healthy, happy new year to you!
Christine Klein
Dear Midwestern Girl,
honestly, this is THE BEST WFPB RECIPE I've ever come across in the wide wide web! Prepared it for two evenings in a row and can't stop eating until the pot is empty. I looooove dill though. This is definitely my new light and hearty soulfood, thank you so much for this! Regards from an old mideuropean girl (Vienna, Austria) PS: I will try your Tortilla Cannolis too 🙂
elizabeth
Wow, Christine--thank you SO VERY MUCH for letting me know how much you like this soup! Seriously, you just made this blogger's day. I'm with you, I just adore dill and especially that classic dill-lemon combo. 'Old mideuropean girl' -- HA, I love it!!! In the US, Midwesterners are known for being polite, hard-working but also 'unhealthy/overweight.' I hoped to bust that stereotype with my blog name, but didn't consider until later it probably doesn't make much sense outside the US.:0 Good luck with the cannolis. Not sure they'll measure up to the amazing pastries you have in Austria, but I think they are pretty good for being WFPB. PS-If you come back, would you be so kind as to give this recipe a star rating? Apparently, Google doesn't feel you have a high-quality site without them. Thanks so much!
Christine Klein
Dear Elizabeth, rating done! *thumbsup* .. I'll try the cannolis this weekend and they will for sure measure up to our pastries (as they consist mainly of fat, sugar, eggs, flour and some other non-healthy ingredients - they can easily be considered "amazing" ;-)) .. but you know, the true amazingness is when it tastes delicious without all this unhealthy stuff 😉
elizabeth
Thanks Christine, I truly appreciate the rating. Well said about the 'amazingness' of desserts! As I wrote in the post, I couldn't eat something like that anymore even if I wanted to. Have fun making the cannolis, and please don't hesitate to ask a question or let me know what you think--amazing or not!