Celeriac soup
Brrr! It’s been cold this week. Perfect weather for soup and sitting on the couch with the heater on.
I don’t think I’ve ever had celeriac before this winter. It’s so unattractive with it’s brown knobbly surface that I never felt tempted to pick it up. Appearances can be deceiving though, and I’m glad I decided to give it a try.
Celeriac is a kind of celery that’s grown for the taproot rather than for the stem and leaves. It has a mild flavour with a cross between celery and parsnip. The first time we ate it, we had it alongside mashed potato, and I kept it separate in case we didn’t like it. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, and the following week I picked up a large one (over a kilo!). What to do with such a big lump of celeriac? Soup!!
I softened some onion, garlic and diced bacon (probably didn’t need the bacon) in a pot, then added the diced celeriac and enough vegetable stock to cover. It all simmered until the celeriac was soft, and then I used my stick blender to puree it. After that, I seasoned it with salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and stirred through some grated parmesan (probably didn’t need the cheese).
Here it is served up with a dash of extra virgin olive oil, and some diced celery leaves. My soup was very thick, so I found it quite filling. It was perfect for a meal on the couch!
Thermomixer
July 24, 2008 @ 2:41 pm
Try celeriac remoulade – my favourite way. Or puree and mix with the mashed spuds-gives the mash another dimension.
BTW Great blog. Liked the less creamy twist on chicken veronique using balsamico too.
jamesbluntknife
July 24, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
mmm, looks nice. it’s definately the weather for soups though – i made a pea and ham soup last week with some nice pork hocks. it certainly hit the spot!
i normally use leeks instead of onions for the extra sweetness.
Agnes
July 24, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
Thermomixer – thanks for the celeriac ideas! It’s such an unassuming vegetable. I’m really glad that I tried it.
Jamesbluntknife – mhmm pork hocks! Soup is so satisfying to make (and eat!).
danny
July 26, 2008 @ 3:50 am
that looks like a stomach warming meal for the winter 🙂 i had no idea it would look green! celeriac always looks kinda pale to me when it’s in it’s natural state..
annette
July 26, 2008 @ 5:30 am
Not the weather for soups where I am Agnes, but I’ll remember this one for the northern winter! I have just started using celeriac and really think it has potential.
Agnes
July 26, 2008 @ 4:59 pm
Danny – it was kinda a pale yellow. The glass it was in might have given it a greenish tint. 🙂
Annette – you never know with the UK – it could be time for wintry soup sooner than you think!
Another Outspoken Female
July 27, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
I love celeriac remoulade and have also done it in a combo with kohlrabi.
Great to meet you guys yesterday, thanks for venturing out on a chilly day.
Lucy
July 28, 2008 @ 10:18 am
It’s a gorgeous flavour celeriac. Warmer and spicer than its stalky cousin!
Great with reconstitued porcini or shiitakes, too.
Thermomixer
July 28, 2008 @ 5:37 pm
Thanks again Agnes. Following on from lucy, did yopu see Neils’ Celeriac purre on At My Table? Using truffle oil or porcini powder instead of truffle gives a similar, less expensive taste.
Agnes
July 28, 2008 @ 10:48 pm
AOF – thanks again, it was great to meet you! Kohlrabi, another thing I haven’t tried. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it!
Hi Lucy! More good suggestions – I’m itching to buy another celeriac now!