The Best Southern Turnip Green Soup

This Southern Turnip Green Soup is filled with smokey and savory flavors, packed with smoked beef sausage, fresh turnip greens, black-eyed peas, hearty broth and tomatoes. The perfect meal for rainy nights, cold winters and great for meal prepping throughout the week.

If you love hearty soups, next you should try my Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Sausage and Potato Soup or this Sweet Chili Recipe!

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WHAT IS SOUTHERN TURNIP GREEN SOUP

As a true southerner, born and raised in Middle Georgia, I grew up with a grandmother that cooked every Sunday. Traditionally in the African-American community, preparing Sunday meals consisting of soul food is a tradition that's been passed down since slavery in America.

With that said, this soup has history in my family, something my Grandmother enjoyed preparing and I'm so excited to share it with you. Furthermore, this recipe is a condensed and simple way slightly than traditional.

Traditional turnip green soup can be prepared with an array of smoked meats such as ham hock, turkey necks or many other smoked meats. To explain, this soup is cooked low and slow similar to southern collard greens or southern style turnip greens.

For this recipe though, we are adding additional ingredients that will result in a full meal meaning you can eat this as a soup. Of course we will discuss items to serve with this recipe but as the base, this is a full bodied soup.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS TURNIP GREEN SOUP

You'll love this recipe because it's comforting and filling. It's also a true one-pot meal, something extremely prominent with many soul food recipes. You are required to only use one pot in this recipe which creates minimal cleanup!

This Southern turnip green soup is also perfect for meal prep. Make ahead on a Sunday evening and devour it for lunch and dinner throughout the week!

Lastly, this healthy turnip green soup is quite versatile and can be prepared in a slow cooker, pressure cooker or of course on the stove top!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST SOUTHERN TURNIP GREEN SOUP

As mentioned, this recipe uses pantry and basic ingredients many you will have on hand. Here are the ingredients to prepare the best turnip green soup.

1. Smoked Beef Sausage. As mentioned, you can use a variety of smoked meats to prepare with this turnip green soup. In this recipe, we are using sliced smoked beef sausage which will cut down on cooking time!
2. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.
3. Onion. Yellow or Vidalia onions work best, a bit of sweet and tanginess to add to the richness of this soup.
4. Carrot. Fresh or frozen works best.
5. Celery. 
6. Garlic.
7. Thyme.
8. Crushed Red Pepper.
9. Season All Seasoning. Use your favorite all purpose seasoning blend.
10. Cajun Seasoning.
11. Black Pepper.
12. Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth. Use reduced sodium chicken broth since we are seasoning the soup additionally. Be mindful to not overload the soup with sodium.
13. Can Diced Tomatoes.
14. Turnip Greens. Fresh is best. I used the pre-packaged chopped fresh turnip greens from WP Rawl.
15. Can Black-Eyed Peas.

HOW TO MAKE TURNIP GREEN SOUP (STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS)

It is important to remember, that this recipe comes together quite quickly. With that said, be sure to prep all ingredients before preparing the turnip soup.

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced beef sausage and cook until charred and brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. 
2. In the same pot, add onion, carrot, garlic and celery and cook, stirring, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. 
3. Pour in seasonings and stir. 
4. Increase heat to high and add broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. 
5. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Stir in turnip greens and reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. 
7. In the last 2-3 minutes of simmering, pour in black eye peas and stir to combine. 
8. Discard the thyme sprig, remove from the heat and cover.
9. Serve warm with crusty bread or cornbread and enjoy!

SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS

• Vegetarian Option. Substitute the chicken broth for vegetarian broth and remove the meat altogether. You can also substitute the beef or any protein with hearty mushrooms.
• Leafy Greens. Unable to locate turnip greens? Collard, mustard or even kale greens will work perfectly for this recipe. Be sure to adjust simmering time for desired doneness.
• More Veggies. Want to add more ingredients? Get creative and add more vegetables such as potatoes, bell peppers and mushrooms.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST TURNIP GREEN SOUP

1. There are several varieties of smoking meats that you can use. Try this recipe not only with beef smoked sausage but try slow cooked bacon, ham hocks, turkey neck or wings.
2. Fresh Turnip Greens. If you are staying true to this recipe, use fresh cleaned and chopped turnip greens. I would not recommend frozen turnips or greens for this recipe.
3. Be sure to adjust cooking times as you adjust the ingredients in the recipe. Depending on the vegetables or ingredients added, adjust cooking time to make certain the ingredients are cooked through.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH SOUTHERN TURNIP GREEN SOUP

• Garlic Toast
• Cornbread
• Hot Sauce
• Rice
• Potatoes
• Savory Salad

FAQs ABOUT TURNIP GREEN SOUP

1. Can I use canned or frozen turnip greens? To start, I do not recommend using frozen greens in this recipe. If you are pressed for time and would like to attempt at using canned greens, be sure to add at the very end of this recipe as the greens are fully cooked through.
2. What cooking meats can I use other than smoked beef sausage. You can certainly used smoked meats similar to preparing collard greens. Use smoked ham hocks, smoked turkey necks or wings or your favorite style of smoked sausage, even andouille sausage would work.
3. Can I prepare this recipe ahead of time? Absolutely! To explain, this recipe gets better with time so prepare ahead and serve at a later time.
4. Can I freeze this Southern Turnip Green Soup? This soup, like many others can absolutely be prepared ahead of time. Simply prepare the soup and allow the temperature to cool and reach room temperature. Only then it is safe to freeze the soup in a freezer safe ziplock bag or freezer safe storage container.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO TRY THIS RECIPE & SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS!

If you try this recipe, I'd love to see it! Please rate your feedback and share it with me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.