Traditional Soup

This soup is traditionally Swedish and comes in many different variations, but all with clear stock and root vegetables. This will be our first post actually containing the root vegetable Swede. You might know it as Rutabaga, Swedish Turnip or Yellow Turnip. Here in Sweden we call it Kålrot, simply meaning Cabbage root.

You will need:

6 medium sized Potatoes, 3 Carrots, ½ Swede, ½-1 Leek, 1 very small Garlic clove, 1 Brown Onion, 3 Vegetable Stock Cubes, vegetable oil, Pepper, Salt, 3 Bay Leaves, 4 whole Allspice "berries", 1cup Parsley and 1½-2 liters Water (1 large pan to cook the soup)

• Peel your potatoes, carrots, swede and onion. Cut them all into chunks, leaving the slightly harder root vegetables in pieces smaller than eg. the potatoes. That way everything will be ready at the same time. 
• Finely mince you garlic clove.
• Add oil in a big pan, gently fry your potatoes, carrots, swede, garlic and brown onion for 5min. Sprinkle with pepper.
• Pour the water over the vegatables and add the stock cubes. Stir to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let simmer. (don't be worried if it looks very watery, it should be)
• Use both green and white part of your leek, clean inbetween all the layers of the leek to ensure all grit is gone. Cut into thick slices.
• Add your leek, bay leaves and the whole allspice into your soup.
• Let gently simmer for 15-25min. Test your root vegetables to make sure they are ready. Do not over cook them!
• Mix in the chopped parsley. Taste! Use more salt and pepper if needed.