From The North Grove Kitchen: Thao’s Vietnamese-style Hakurei Macaroni Soup

Hakurei is a salad turnip from Japan. They have a sweet, mild flavour – not what you would typically expect from a turnip. They grow very well in Nova Scotia, and you can find them on farmstands and at farmers markets throughout the growing season. We even grow them on The North Grove’s Community Farm! 

Former Dietetics Intern Thao joined us for a fun session of Food Demo to show us how we can creatively incorporate hakurei turnips into a delicious and hearty Vietnamese-style macaroni soup! 

Makes: 6-8 servings  

Ingredients 

• 3 yellow onions 

• 3 cups diced carrots 

• 3 cups diced hakurei turnips 

• 1 pound lean ground beef (or shredded chicken or fried tofu) 

• 3 cups dried macaroni (or any pasta shape) 

• 4 litres of water 

• ½ tsp salt 

• ½ tsp pepper 

• 1 tsp sugar 

• 2 tsp fish sauce 

• 1 tsp stock powder (vegetable, beef or chicken) 

• 1 tbsp cooking oil 

• Green onion and/or fresh cilantro (for garnish) 

Instructions 

1. Peel and cut yellow onions in half. Peel and dice carrots and hakurei turnips. Mince garlic. 

2. In a medium pot, boil 4 cups of water. Add macaroni and cook until tender. Drain it with cold water and set aside.  

3. In a large pot, add 1 tbsp of cooking oil and turn on to medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add onions, carrots and hakurei. Then, add minced garlic, stir and cook for a few seconds. Stir in the protein (beef, chicken, or tofu).  

4. Once the protein is cooked, add 4 litres of water in a large pot. Add grilled onions and hakurei. Season with sugar, salt, pepper, stock powder and fish sauce. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes. 

5. Assemble the bow: place the cooked macaroni into the bowl. Pour the hot broth over everything. Garnish with green onions and/or cilantro. Enjoy! 

If you want to share photos of your cooking or have any questions contact Marlee at mlacourciere@thenorthgrove.ca.