Hello again folks! The holidays are over and I’m back in my little flat in Bath awaiting exams and the start of the next semester. Between a bit of revision I’ve been keeping busy in the kitchen as usual…
Keeping it simple today with an easy-peasy soup to warm you up from head to toe. What is it about soup that is just so wonderful? It’s a miraculous thing how a few unexciting vegetables thrown together in a pot can produce something so tasty and nourishing! This soup is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
This is celeriac. Hmmm, not so attractive is it? You might have seen it whilst doing your food shopping and ignored it, or else just stopped and stared at it, marvelling at its ugliness. Either way, I bet it’s not made its way into many of your baskets.
Well I’m here to change that!
It may be lumpy and bumpy but it’s got a great flavour, both delicate and nutty, and works a treat as a base for soup. All it needs is some onion, carrot and garlic to add some sweetness, the essential salt and pepper, and that’s it. Throw it in a blender and you’ve got liquid velvet. Silky smooth and comforting.
I topped mine with a drizzle of almond cream, a smattering of toasted almonds and a sprig or two of fresh parsley but it doesn’t really need any adornment.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Small Carrot, diced
- 1 Medium Onion, diced
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- Approx 500g/1lb Peeled and cubed celeriac
- 3-4 C Vegetable Broth
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Parsley, Toasted Almonds and Almond Cream* to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- * To make almond cream, blend together white almond butter OR blanched almonds with a little water and a splash of apple cider vinegar OR lemon juice.
- In a large pot over medium heat sauté the onions and carrots in the oil for 5-10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring for another minute or two. Add the celeriac and vegetable broth. Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook, covered for approx 15 minutes, or until the celeriac is soft.
- Allow to cool for a couple of minutes then, for best results, transfer to a high-powered blender and blend until very smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender.
- Return to pot, add salt and pepper to taste and warm through again before serving.
What’s in your soup pot at the moment?
If you’re new to Coconut and Berries, please sign up for email updates and join me elsewhere! I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram (@coconutandberries), Google + and Twitter! You can also follow Coconut and Berries with Bloglovin or Feedly.
I had no idea what celeriac was - thank you for enlightening! I’ll have to look out for this next time at the store if we have it in the states.
Glad I could enlighten you Vanessa 😉 I’m sure you have it over in the US, sometimes it’s called celery root if that helps at all?
I’ve definitely seen celeriac in the store before and heard of it, but I’ve never cooked with it! This soup looks perfect for the freezing temps we are currently having. Where did you find white almond butter?
It sounds freezing with you- definitely soup weather!
White almond butter is just made with peeled or blanched almonds. It’s fairly common over here. You could also just make the almond cream like you would fresh almond milk but with less water, or just use cashew cream!
I love love love love celeriac - cooked or raw, isn’t it the best! I could go nuts on this soup.
Yay! Great to hear that Sarah. I’m going to try it raw next I think. Hope you try the soup!
Along with beets and fennel, celeriac is one of those vegetables I don’t love or hate… I’m just indifferent. The fact there are few celeriac recipes in my cookbooks might have something to do with it. I eat it a couple of times a year. My dad added it to a stir-fry during the holidays and it was actually pretty amazing. Maybe I just have to eat it more to love it.
In my soup pot tonight, there was the pesto soup with gnocchi from Isa Does It. Do you have that book?
Pesto soup and gnocchi? That sounds fabulous! Must get that book…
Oooh a stir-fry with celeriac sounds interesting.
That pesto soup with gnocchi sounds amazing! I do have Isa Does It but haven’t made a huge amount yet….
What have you tried so far? I only made de Sunflower Mac. At first I wasn’t sure I loved it… but I got addicted to it after a few bites.
I really like celeriac so thank you, Emma, for this soup recipe!
Fab to hear Natalia! Hope you enjoy it
I’d never tasted celeriac before it came in my fruit & veg delivery, then I had no choice but to try it! It does work in great in soups. I was going to make my celeriac and apple soup tonight for dinner but I think I’ll try this instead… Thanks for the recipe! xoxo
That’s always the way isn’t it with veg boxes! Hope you liked the soup if you got to make it. It’s simple but delicious.
I love celeriac! I discovered celeriac fries a few years ago and I can polish off a whole celeriac in no time in that form 😛 I also love it mashed…but I have never tried it in soup! I shall have to do so!
I haven’t tried it either as fries or mashed so thank YOU for the ideas! Looking forward to trying those out.
I love celeriac and I love soup, so this looks like a winner to me!
Whoopee!
That looks really yummy - can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Nick- you’ll have to present this one to “Petula” and see if she approves! Just checked out your blog- how lucky you are to have a keen cook for a wife!
I keep seeing these at the market, maybe I should be brave and give one a go??
can you believe i have still never tried celeriac?! your description of it has finally convinced me to get some next time i’m at the store! all this time, i was afraid it would taste like celery!
It has slight celery undertones but it’s much much nicer! Hope you do try it!
Lovely recipe as always
Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure!
Best of luck on the exams!
I saw tons of beautiful celeriac roots at the markets this week and I was thinking of trying it out but the kitchen in Paris doesn’t have an immersion blender, I wish there is such thing as a travel blender! Simple and easy soups are the best, and what a lovely almond cream drizzle! Such a beautiful, colorful celeriac soup! I’m planning to make a harissa with white beans & grains soup this weekend, before my flight back to the U.S., it will be hearty, spicy and just yum! - Rika
Sounds just yum! I love all the Parisian markets. Hope you’ve had a great time. I’m sure it will nice to be back home all the same after such a long time away.
Is celeriac similar to celery in taste?
It has slight celery undertones but it’s milder and kind of nutty. When it’s cooked it gets a little sweeter too. You should try it!
I wish I could get myself to like celeriac but, alas, it tastes too much like celery for me!
Really? I don’t think it’s that celery-like, especially cooked. I do like celery these days now so maybe I’m not so sensitive to the taste!
I’m one of those persons that always ignores celeriac. I’ve had it in restaurants though. i liked it but didn’t love it,but you sure are selling this soup! maybe i’ll try it out when i have my arm back. x
It’s pretty easy to ignore- it doesn’t exactly call to you does it?! You should give it a go. I want to try it raw, shredded with beetroot and carrot in a salad too
This is terrific! I got celeriac in a CSA delivery last fall and had no idea what it was or what to do with it. Seeing your photo - now I finally know what it was! I can’t wait to try this recipe the next time I find myself with some celeriac laying around!
That’s great! CSAs are perfect for expanding your vegetable horizons! Hope celeriac pops up in your veg box again and you make this soup
This looks and sounds so delicious! I’ve never cooked it before but I imagine it makes for a great base in a soup like this to carry the flavors. This is so simple I’m sure it could be whipped up pretty easily!
You should give celeriac a go. I actually want to try it raw, grated in a salad next!
I had no idea what celeriac was until yesterday when I got an email from our CSA that we were getting one. I think we are getting carrots in our basket too so I might have to make this soup!
CSAs (or veg boxes as they’re known here) are great for discovering new vegetables! I hope you liked the celeriac if you’ve tried it yet.
I was a little afraid to make this soup, since the celery root is so ugly, and the recipe just seemed too easy to be true! But I had it last night for dinner and it was really good! You seem to have all the recipes on your blog to help me use up the contents of my CSA box each week! Thank you!
Hurrah! So pleased to hear that April. It’s pretty good once you get past the ugliness isn’t it?! 😀