If you've never had celery root, it's time to give this creamy tuber a try!
Apple Celery Root Soup Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 45 minutes. Recipe Yields: 8 servings.
Ingredients:
2 pound bulb of celery root
2 leeks, well rinsed (see below)
2 celery stalks, well rinsed
2 granny smith apples
2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
2 cups water
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh dill
Apple cider vinegar
Recipe Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F, then begin prepping your veggies.
Cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Cut of the tips off the root end. Submerge them in cool running water. Check between the layers for dirt and rinse thoroughly. Cut them into 1 inch pieces and add them to a large sheet tray.
Peel and cut the granny smith apples into large cubes and add them to the sheet pan.
Slice the celery into 1 inch pieces and add to the sheet pan. You may need 2 sheet pans if they don't all fit.
Drizzle the cut up veggies with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and about 1.5 teaspoons of salt.
Roast them in the 425° oven. Cook for about 40-45 minutes, until softened.
While the veggies roast, bring a medium pot up to boil with 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
Prepare the celery root (aka celeriac), by cutting off all the hairy roots and trimming around to peel the bulb with your knife until you see only the white flesh of the root. Be sure to wipe your board of any loose dirt. Once fully peeled, roughly chop the celeriac into 1 inch cubes. Add it to the boiling liquid and boil until fork tender, then remove from the heat.
Once your veggies are out of the oven, it's time to combine! To a blender, add the cooked apples, leeks, and celery, along with enough of the hot broth to get the blades going, you will need about 2 cups.
Puree until smooth and add to a large bowl. This recipe makes a large quantity, so you may need to puree in batches.
Next puree the celery root in the blender in the remaining broth with about a tablespoon of fresh dill.
Add to the bowl with the other puree. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Add 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar for brightness (optional).
Strain the soup through a strainer into a bowl and garnish with fresh dill. I also used celery leaves and crispy onions to garnish mine.
Tips:
Celery root, also known as celeriac is a root vegetable in the parsnip family. It's very creamy and has a slightly sweet celery-like taste. It can be boiled, mashed, roasted, shredded or fried, but it shines the most in a puree or soup.
This recipe makes a lot of soup, but it freezes very well. You can also easily half the recipe.
If you can't find celery root, substitute it with russet potatoes or fennel.