Description
This creamy Celeriac Soup is a comforting, flavorful dish made from celeriac root and potatoes, enriched with cream and infused with aromatic herbs and spices. Perfect as a warming starter or light meal, it uses simple ingredients cooked gently on the stovetop to develop a rich base without stock, delivering a smooth, velvety texture and subtle earthy flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 onion, diced (brown or yellow)
- 1/2 leek (white part only), diced into 1cm cubes (~3/4 cup)
- 3 celery stems, diced into 1cm cubes (~1 1/2 cups)
- 800g / 1.6 lb peeled celeriac, cut into 2cm cubes (~1kg unpeeled)
- 200g / 7oz potato, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes (floury or all-rounder)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Dairy and Fats
- 60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup full fat cream (pure, thickened or heavy)
Liquids and Seasoning
- 1.5 litres / 6 cups water (or stock if preferred)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
Spice Sachet Ingredients
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds (or 1/8 tsp coriander powder if no sachet)
Garnish/Serving
- Croutons (see note)
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives (or parsley/chervil)
Instructions
- Create Spice Sachet: Bundle the bay leaf, thyme sprigs, black peppercorns, and coriander seeds loosely in a small piece of cheesecloth, then tie securely with cooking twine to make a sachet for easy flavor infusion.
- Sauté Aromatics: Melt the unsalted butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion, leek, celery, and garlic. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until the onion softens without browning, developing the soup’s flavorful base.
- Add Root Vegetables: Add the diced celeriac and potato to the pot. Cook while stirring regularly for 10 minutes, allowing the edges to soften without coloring, keeping the soup’s appearance white and clean.
- Simmer Soup: Stir in salt, white pepper, the prepared spice sachet, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes until the celeriac is very tender.
- Add Cream: Pour in the cream and simmer for an additional 3 minutes to enrich the soup with a smooth, creamy texture.
- Blend Soup: Remove the spice sachet carefully. Using a stick blender, blend the soup directly in the pot for about 3 minutes until completely smooth. Alternatively, cool slightly and blend in batches in a regular blender following safety precautions.
- Season to Taste: Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed to fine-tune the flavor.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with golden croutons and sprinkle with chopped chives. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- Leek: Use only the white and very pale green part; wash thoroughly between layers to remove grit.
- Celeriac: Also known as celery root, peeled carefully with a potato peeler. It tastes like celery with a nutty, earthy flavor and is a lower-carb potato alternative.
- Potato: Use floury or all-rounder types like Russet or Yukon Gold; waxy potatoes are not suitable.
- Cream Alternatives: Low-fat cream, vegetable stock instead of water (skip cream and salt), or evaporated milk can be used but may alter flavor and texture.
- Sachet Substitutes: If no cheesecloth, add herbs directly and use coriander powder instead of seeds; strain if desired for a clearer soup.
- Blending Safety: Blend soup in batches only 1/3 full, remove blender lid cap, cover hole with towel to avoid splatters.
- Croutons: Cut crustless bread into 0.75 cm cubes, toss with olive oil and salt, bake at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes, tossing halfway until golden and crisp.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated up to 4-5 days; freezes well though untested.
- Nutrition: Values are per serving, assuming 5 servings total.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 350 ml)
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
