Chicken Turnip-Vegetable Soup

1#   chicken thigh meat

1/2  onion - finely chopped

3 lg stalks celery and tops

3 lg carrots

5 sm  turnips - red, white, yellow

1 sm  onion - chopped

1 lg clove elephant garlic - sliced

2-3T  powdered chicken soup base

Trim off the fat and cut the chicken into bite size pieces.  Saute' the meat in 1-2T butter with the finely chopped onion until nicely browned.  Add about a cup of water or chicken broth and simmer 15 minutes covered.  Add sliced celery and carrots - wait until later.  Scrub the turnips and cut off any bad spots.  Cut and slice them into the pot.  Add the pepper now and a little water if necessary.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Put the onion, garlic and celery tops in, stir saute' until the garlic and onion scent your kitchen.  Add powdered chicken soup base and 6-8 cups of water.  Simmer, covered until the vegetables are done the way you like them.