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My Mock Turtle Soup recipe is a bowl of warm, thick, meaty, savory, and soulful bites on this classic New Orleans recipe. It's a delicious and comforting soup perfect for a chilly evening.
Here are more Classic New Orleans recipes: Authentic Red Beans and Rice, Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, Dirty Rice, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Brandy Milk Punch, and New Orleans Bread Pudding.
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What is Mock Turtle Soup?
In New Orleans and the rest of Southeastern Louisiana, turtle soup is as classic as gumbo. Traditional turtle soup is made with snapping turtle meat; however, mock turtle soup is made with veal, ground beef, or ground turkey.
Mock turtle soup originated in England to imitate green turtle soup. It was made with a calf's head but normally with ground beef. Central Louisiana has a strong British influence, so it's no surprise that it's popular in Louisiana.
Like most foods in New Orleans, they will be jazzed up with more flavor, spices, and love to make them completely different from those of the original settlers.
Growing up, I never ate Cowan (snapping turtle), and I think it's because my grandmother was scared to see her dad get bitten severely by one and made a vow never to eat one. I mean, snapping turtles are mean little suckers!
I can remember the first time I had turtle soup, which was in a Cajun-Creole course in culinary school. I immediately volunteered to cook it because I was curious how the Ninja Turtles taste in soup. Surprisingly, it wasn't bad. Turtle meat has a briny aftertaste, like frog legs and gator, but it was mild and enjoyable in this soup.
Usually, turtle meat is frozen, and you'll have to chop it in a food processor, pass it through a meat grinder to resemble ground meat or chop it into bite-sized pieces.
Turtle meat is sold in grocery stores less than it used to be, but I'm sure one of my cousins still can get their hands on it if you do no want to eat turtle. You've come to the right recipe!
Many restaurants in New Orleans use veal because its light and mild flavor is easy to blend with this yummy tomato-based soup. Plus, it's less expensive than turtle meat. So that's how I'm going to make mine.
We're going to start off by browning the veal meat, then make a peanut butter roux, and cook the holy trinity(onions, celery, and bell pepper) in a tomato and beef broth based with worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hard-boiled eggs, and sherry.
Mock Turtle Soup Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients to make a memorable turtle soup.
Ground Veal
Ground veal is just a younger cow, so technically, it's ground beef, just less mature. This will yield a mild and meaty flavor without the heaviness that ground beef can make you feel after eating it.
Roux
To make a New Orleans turtle soup, you must make a peanut butter roux. This will add body and flavor and help with the final color. Get ready to pull your oil and flour out.
Tomato Puree
I prefer tomato puree because its cooking process gives it a deeper flavor than tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes.
Holy Trinity
You'll need yellow onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. This trio is a great base for soup!
Eggs
Eggs are included in the dish because the old-fashioned recipe called for turtle eggs in the soup, too. However, these days, we only need hard-boiled eggs.
Dry Sherry
The sweetness of sherry did a great job of masking the briny flavor of turtle meat. However, the sweetness is a great complement to the tomatoes in the dish.
How to Make Mock Turtle Soup
The "Mock turtle soup" has a few steps and quite a few ingredients, but I promise you'll cut on your favorite music, podcast, or audiobook and have a fun time cooking this finger-licking soup.
Heat a large 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat, and add ¼ cup of oil. Hot, add veal and 1 ½ teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, and cook for 8-10 minutes until veal is brown and crispy.
Remove all the veal from the pot; any leftover pieces will begin to pop out when you add the remaining oil and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
In the same pot, add the remaining oil and heat for 2 minutes. Stir in your flour and make a peanut butter brown roux, about 3 minutes; add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 3 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, remaining Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and allspice, and cook until garlic is fragrant about 15 seconds. Add tomato puree, worcestershire sauce, and 2 cups of beef stock, and stir to combine.
Slowly add remaining beef stock, lemon, and veal, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.
Before serving, stir in chopped parsley, taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve mock turtle soup in a bowl, garnish with chopped eggs and parsley, and spoon 1 ounce of sherry over top and my jalapeno cheddar cornbread muffins.
How to Store Turtle Soup
The soup should be completely cooled before being stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 7 days.
Soup can be frozen in an airtight container for two or three months. It should be thawed in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating.
To reheat mock turtle soup, add to a pot over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes until hot.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks
Here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you make this incredible soup:
- Add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the pot if you love spicy food.
- I was always told that beef broth was used for turtle soup; however, feel free to use chicken broth.
- Be sure to use a dry sherry. Taylor Sherry Dry is the most common you can find in the wine aisle. However, DO NOT use sherry cooking wine. You don't need a cooking wine; you cook with wine you would drink.
- Be sure to scrape and remove all the pieces of veal from the Dutch oven; as you heat up your oil to make your roux, the remnants will begin to pop from the pot and can burn you.
- If you cannot find tomato puree, use tomato sauce.
- You can use ground beef if ground veal is unavailable in your market.
- Turtle soup tastes better the next day after the flavors marry together.
- If you don't have any ground allspice, use ground nutmeg.
FAQs
Here are the top questions readers have about mock turtle soup.
What is mock turtle soup made of?
Mock turtle soup is a hearty and flavorful dish that mimics traditional turtle soup but uses alternative ingredients. It's typically made with a base of beef or veal, particularly the calf's head or knuckle, for a rich, gelatinous texture. Many modern recipes substitute ground meat or stewing beef for convenience. Other key components include onions, celery, and bell pepper for aromatic depth, along with spices like allspice, cloves, and bay leaves. Hard-boiled eggs are often diced and added to replicate the texture of turtle meat, while a dash of sherry or lemon juice finishes it off with a bright, tangy note.
What is turtle soup in New Orleans?
Turtle soup is an iconic Creole dish found on menus at many classic restaurants in New Orleans. It's traditionally made with snapping turtle meat, which gives it a unique, slightly gamey flavor. The soup is cooked with a rich beef or veal stock, tomatoes, vegetables, and a mix of warm spices.
What sets New Orleans turtle soup apart is the generous splash of sherry before serving, which adds a hint of sweetness and sophistication. Turtle soup holds cultural significance in New Orleans as a dish that showcases the city's love for bold, deep flavors and its culinary blend of French, Spanish, and Creole influences.
What does mock turtle soup taste like?
Mock turtle soup has a complex taste that's savory, rich, and slightly tangy with a touch of sweetness. The slow-cooked meat provides a deep, hearty base, complemented by the flavors of aromatic vegetables and warm spices.
Hard-boiled eggs lend a creamy bite, and lemon juice or sherry adds a pleasant brightness to balance the richness. While it doesn't taste exactly like traditional turtle soup, its layered flavors and comforting texture make it a delicious and satisfying dish in its own right.
What is the difference between turtle soup and mock turtle soup?
The key difference lies in the main ingredient. Turtle soup uses real turtle meat, traditionally from snapping turtles. In contrast, mock turtle soup substitutes beef or veal, often calf's head or other cuts, to replicate the consistency and richness of the original.
Both soups share a similar combination of vegetables, spices, and broth, but their flavor profiles differ slightly due to the use of different proteins. Mock turtle soup was created as a more accessible and affordable alternative, and it's gained its own following over time as a classic comfort food. On the other hand, turtle soup remains a specialty dish, particularly in regions like New Orleans, where it's deeply rooted in culinary tradition.
More New Orleans Recipes
If you love Cajun-Creole food, you'll want these recipes!
- New Orleans Seafood Filé Gumbo
- Blackened Chicken Pasta
- Yakamein
- Pecan Pralines
- King Cake Beignets
- King Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
- Grillades and Grits
- New Orleans Hurricane
- New Orleans Egg Nog Daiquiri
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized before I start anything.
Step 1: Pull all the ingredients on the counter and read the recipe once before starting.
Step 2: Measure everything out into individual bowls.
Step 3: Follow the recipe and prepare for the best mock turtle soup you've ever had.
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📖 Recipe
Creole Mock Turtle Soup
Ingredients
- ¾ cup avocado oil
- 2 lbs. ground veal
- 4 teaspoons Savory Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large yellow onion chopped medium
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped medium
- 3 celery ribs chopped medium
- 5 garlic cloves chopped small
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 15 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- ¾ teaspoon ground all-spice
- 2 ½ quarts low sodium beef stock (10 cups)
- 1 small lemon cut in half, sliced thin and quartered
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 3 hard boiled eggs chopped medium
- 6 ounces sherry wine
Instructions
- Heat a large 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat, and add ¼ cup of oil. Hot, add veal and 1 ½ teaspoons of Cajun seasoning, and cook for 8-10 minutes until veal is brown and crispy. Remove all the veal from the pot; any leftover pieces will begin to pop out when you add the remaining oil and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels.
- In the same pot, add the remaining oil and heat for 2 minutes. Stir in your flour and make a peanut butter brown roux, about 3 minutes; add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 3 minutes, until vegetables are soft.
- Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, remaining Cajun seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper, and allspice, and cook until garlic is fragrant about 15 seconds. Add tomato puree, worcestershire sauce, and 2 cups of beef stock, and stir to combine. Slowly add remaining beef stock, lemon, and veal, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.
- Before serving, stir in chopped parsley, taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve mock turtle soup in a bowl, garnish with chopped eggs and parsley, and spoon 1 ounce of sherry over top.
Notes
- Add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the pot if you love spicy food.
- I was always told that beef broth was used for turtle soup; however, feel free to use chicken broth.
- Be sure to use a dry sherry. Taylor Sherry Dry is the most common you can find in the wine aisle. However, DO NOT use sherry cooking wine. You don't need a cooking wine; you cook with wine you would drink.
- Be sure to scrape and remove all the pieces of veal from the Dutch oven; as you heat up your oil to make your roux, the remnants will begin to pop from the pot and can burn you.
- If you cannot find tomato puree, use tomato sauce.
- You can use ground beef if ground veal is unavailable in your market.
- Turtle soup tastes better the next day after the flavors marry together.
- If you don't have any ground allspice, use ground nutmeg.
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