The World That Was - Babylonian Turnip and Onion Soup

 Hello and Welcome to The World That Was!

Today, I’ll be taking a look at a recipe from the Yale Cuneiform Collection, a recipe that was possibly intended for the poorer members of Babylonian society, or indeed something that was eaten during times of famine or war - a turnip and onion stew! Turnips do not appear to be eaten frequently in Babylonian cuisine, and seemingly were seen as a "last resort" to them.

In any case, let's take a look at The World That Was! Follow along with my YouTube video above!

Ingredients

1 turnip (shredded)

1 onion (thinly sliced)

1/2 cup rocket/arugula (minced)

1/4 cup parsley/cilantro (minced)

500ml / 2 cups water (or stock)

1 tbsp ground coriander

coriander seeds (for decoration)

1 tbsp olive oil (or butter)

Method

1 - Prepare the Pot

Pour about a tablespoon's amount of olive oil or butter into a pot, and put this over a medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer.

2 - Chop Onion

Thinly slice an onion - or dice it into small pieces. I'm using a red onion here, because the colour of the onion adds some vibrancy to an otherwise very bland looking dish. In any case, go toss this into the pot, when the oil is shimmering. Make sure to absent-mindedly splash hot oil all over your freshly-laundered tablecloth. Stir this around, and then cover with a lid. Let your onions steam for about 5 -10 minutes until they turn translucent

3 - Add Water

When your onions are done, pour your water - or in my case, vegetable stock - into your pot. Bring the whole thing to a rolling boil over a medium-high heat.

4 - Prepare the Turnip

While your pot is coming to a boil, go peel and shred your turnip. Your average Babylonian most likely didn't have a grater, so you could just thinly slice and dice your turnip into small pieces - we just want them all to be the same size.

5 - Mix your ingredients

Toss your turnip into the pot when it hits a rolling boil, and then stir everything to combine. At this point, you can add some ground coriander. Put this pot back onto a medium-high heat, until it hits a boil again. When it hits a rolling boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer away for about 10-15 minutes.

6 - Mince your Herbs

While your pot is simmering away, go chop your rocket leaves by bunching it up and chopping it. Do the same to your parsley - or cilantro - and put these aside for later.

7 - Mix your Herbs and Serve

When your turnips have softened, go mix in your minced herbs. Serve up your soup into a small bowl. Garnish with a sprig of parsley or cilantro, and scatter some coriander seeds over the top.

The finished dish is delicious, and very filling, thanks to the turnips. The herbs really improve the overall taste, although the extent of their use in the Bronze Age is unknown, it is likely that the middle- and upper-classes would have been afford them - based on Hellenistic-period accounts of these dishes. It takes about a half an hour to make, and is fairly simple too, requiring only a few ingredients and relatively little preparation. It is possible that dishes like this would have fed the poorer portions of Babylonian society outside of feast days for much of the year. Given that turnips appear to be not favoured by the Babylonian elite - rather they seemed to prefer beetroot, like with the Tuh’u stew from a few weeks ago - turnips may have been seen as a subsistence vegetable for the wider population!