Don’t know what celery root (a.k.a. celeriac) is? It’s that really ugly, knobby looking white ball in your CSA box. You can also find it in the grocery store right now. If you’re looking to clean out your farm share box or just want to try something new, here’s an easy, tasty, healthy soup recipe to try this weekend.
This is a “veganized” version of a basic bisque recipe. When “veganizing”, I swap out the higher-fat animal ingredients like whipped cream & butter for healthier vegetarian ingredients, liked almond milk & coconut oil. My kids & husband all loved this soup, and it was gone by the end of the day!
Ingredients for soup:
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallots or white onion
2 pounds of celery root (about 1.5 bulbs), peeled and cubed in 1 inch pieces
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed into one inch pieces
5 cups low-sodium veggie broth
1.5 tsp fresh minced thyme
1/4 cup almond milk (more if you like a thinner pureed soup)
salt and pepper to taste ( I used about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper)
For croutons: 2 pieces of “oldish” whole grain bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
olive oil (preferably in a spray bottle or mister)
To prepare: In a large soup pot, melt coconut oil over medium heat. Add celery and cook until softened (about 3 minutes). Add shallots or onion, and cook about 3 more minutes. Then add cubed potato and celery root, broth and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 40 minutes, or until veggies are very soft.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil. You can sprinkle them with garlic powder or toss in a crushed garlic clove and a little olive oil if you don’t have a spray bottle. Toast in the oven until brown (it doesn’t take long so keep checking them).
Once the veggies are soft, stir in the almond milk and puree soup with a hand blender in pot or in batches in a countertop blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in bowls sprinkled with a handful of croutons and a side salad. Who knew that ugly business could taste so good?
Tags: celery root soup, celery soup, vegan soup
