Celery Root, also known as Celeriac, is not an attractive vegetable. She will not win the beauty contest of root vegetables! In fact, it is rather a scary looking knob. The beauty is on the inside where a delicate flavor lives. Celery Root has a very distinctive flavor of celery and parsley.
Celery Root can be used as a slaw over crab cakes, combined with potatoes for savory mashed potatoes or in a soup. In this soup you taste the delicate flavor of celery with the accent of smokey bacon and crisp apple topping. This is a wonderful first course soup or an entrée soup served thick with crusty bread and a glass of wine.
Celery Root Soup
Ingredients:
3 medium leeks (3/4 lb), white and pale green parts only
3 bacon slices (2 oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 lb celery root, peeled with a knife and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 3/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
3/4 celery rib, very thinly sliced on a long diagonal (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup inner celery leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half
Scant dash of chili powder
Directions:
Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water to remove any soil and then lift out onto paper towels and pat dry.
Cook bacon in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.
Pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot and reserve for later, then add oil. Cook leeks over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan. Add celery root and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add water and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until celery root is very tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
While soup simmers, thinly slice apple lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer, working around core, then cut slices into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife. Gently toss with celery and celery leaves.
In a skillet, add 2 tbs reserved bacon fat and 2 tbs olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until all water has been released and slightly browned. Add apple matchsticks and celery and sauté 1-2 minutes until slightly softened but still crisp. Add bacon and celery leaves to heat though. Remove from heat.
Purée the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (use caution when blending hot liquids) Return soup to cleaned pot. (If soup is too thick, thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water.) Stir in salt, pepper, and half-and-half and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Season with salt, then divide among 4 bowls and top with mushroom apple-celery mixture.
Celery Root Soup
2014-04-28 16:15:11
Serves 4
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
598g
Servings
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 244
Calories from Fat 83
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g
14%
Saturated Fat 3g
17%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 13mg
4%
Sodium 896mg
37%
Total Carbohydrates 35g
12%
Dietary Fiber 6g
23%
Sugars 11g
Protein 9g
Vitamin A
26%
Vitamin C
41%
Calcium
16%
Iron
17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
- 3 medium leeks (3/4 lb), white and pale green parts only
- 3 bacon slices (2 oz)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb celery root, peeled with a knife and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Granny Smith apple
- 1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 3/4 celery rib, very thinly sliced on a long diagonal (1/2 cup)
- 1/3 cup inner celery leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- Scant dash of chili powder
Instructions
- Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water to remove any soil and then lift out onto paper towels and pat dry.
- Cook bacon in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.
- Pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot and reserve for later, then add oil. Cook leeks over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan.
- Add celery root and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
- Add water and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until celery root is very tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
- While soup simmers, thinly slice apple lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer, working around core, then cut slices into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife. Gently toss with celery and celery leaves.
- In a skillet, add 2 tbs reserved bacon fat and 2 tbs olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until all water has been released and slightly browned. Add apple matchsticks and celery and sauté 1-2 minutes until slightly softened but still crisp.
- Add bacon and celery leaves to heat though. Remove from heat.
- Purée the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (use caution when blending hot liquids) Return soup to cleaned pot. (If soup is too thick, thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water.)
- Stir in salt, pepper, and half-and-half and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm.
- Season with salt, then divide among 4 bowls and top with mushroom apple-celery mixture.
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