Tag Archives: celery root

Cream of Celery Root and Apple Soup

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This delicious soup was a perfect first course for a Winter braised main dish. Not too heavy, and chock-full of flavor, amped up with texture from some homemade seasoned croutons and a light garnish of thyme leaves, it was instantly a fan favorite.

Celeriac, or celery root, is one of the unsung heroes of the root vegetable world. It can be eaten raw or cooked, is a terrific substitution for potatoes in many applications and is very healthy. If you’ve never used celery root, it is a relative of celery and is a very common ingredient in French or German kitchens.

In this recipe, it is combined with apple and leek to take advantage of the flavor of this ugliest of roots. Don’t be put off by its gnarly exterior. It has a mild celery flavor with a refreshing crunch and a little bitterness when raw, and a subtle undertone of sweetness when cooked. We often make a celery root and potato mash that is heavenly!

To finish, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with croutons and thyme leaves, if desired.

Cream of Celery Root and Apple Soup

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 8 oz. celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 large leek, white and light green part only
  • 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 oz. dry vermouth or white wine
  • 1 cups heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • Table salt, to taste
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil
  • Garnish with croutons and thyme leaves

Directions

  1. Cut the white and light green part of the leek in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place in a colander and wash thoroughly to insure removal of any sand.
  2. Add the butter to a large pot and heat it over medium until the butter melts and begins to foam. Add the leek and sauté until it becomes soft and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the celery root and apple to the pot along with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes longer
  3. Add the wine or hard cider, cover the pot, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, place the cover on the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until the celery root and the apple are very tender.
  4. Puree the mixture using an immersion blender or a stand blender.
  5. Add the cream, the nutmeg, and more salt and pepper to taste Cook a few minutes more over medium-low heat until the soup is hot and serve.
  6. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with croutons and thyme leaves, if desired.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from ElPais.com

Potato, Celery Root and Leek Gratin with Gruyére

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We are talking calorie-busting decadence here, but oh so worth it! Just keep in mind, a little goes a long way—think French when considering portion size; after all, Gruyère cheese is in the gratin. And it was a perfect accompaniment to our main course of sous vide, pan-seared beef tenderloin, which in of itself is very lean. Completing the plate was a lump crab meat patty, and roasted Brussels sprouts with an orange sauce.

The Hubs and I were a bit leery about the seemingly low amount of liquid, but it turned out perfectly creamy. One of our dinner guests admitted to disliking celery immensely and was concerned when he heard it contained celery root. However, he loved the gratin, even taking seconds!

A mandoline comes in real handy for uniformly-thin slices of potatoes and celery root. To aid in scheduling your dinner, this gratin can be made up to two hours ahead of time, covered with foil, then reheated for about 20 minutes.

Potato, Celery Root and Leek Gratin with Gruyere

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 sprig thyme plus 3 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
  • 3 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
  • Kosher Salt
  • 2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise (1/8″ thick)
  • 1 lb. celery root, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise (1/8″ thick)
  • 2 cups grated Gruyère
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat to 350°. Heat cream, garlic, and thyme sprig in a medium saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around edge of pan. Remove from heat; set aside to steep.
  2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; season with salt and cook, stirring often, until tender (do not brown), 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Butter a 3-quart gratin dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Layer 1/3 of potato slices and 1/3 of celery root slices evenly over bottom of baking dish. Cover with 1/3 of leeks, then 1/3 of Gruyère. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme leaves. Repeat layers twice more. Strain cream mixture into a medium pitcher and pour over vegetables.
  4. Set gratin dish on a large rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Carefully remove foil; continue baking until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, 25–30 minutes.
    DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Tent with foil and rewarm in a 300° oven until hot, about 20 minutes.

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Recipe from Susan Spungen for Bon Apétit

Cream of Celery and Celery Root Soup

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This Cream of Celery and Celery Root Soup is smooth and delicate, and its elegant celery leaf garnish makes it a perfect first course for a dinner party—which was our original plans. Adding celery root (a relative of celery) imbues the soup with even deeper celery flavor.

Found in our Fine Cooking Magazine, several reviewers mentioned they thought the soup was flat. Au contraire mon ami, we loved the silken flavor profile. Perhaps ours was more robust in that we used homemade chicken stock which amps up flavor tenfold as opposed to any bland store bought version. In addition, The Hubs tossed in a 1/2 teaspoon each of celery salt and white pepper.

Unfortunately the dinner party plans fell apart for a number of reasons, but that didn’t stop us from dividing the soup in half; one part destined for the freezer in the hopes those dinner plans would come together again soon, and the other for us to nosh on for lunch the next day.

UPDATE: We did use the “freezer” portion of the soup for that dinner party a few weeks later, and luckily it thawed just fine.

Cream of Celery and Celery Root Soup

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 6 cups thinly sliced celery (reserve 1/4 cup celery leaves)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 cups peeled, small-diced celery root
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 fresh or 1/2 dried bay leaf
  • 2 Tbs. crème fraîche
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Canola oil for frying

Directions

  • In a 4-quart pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until tender and just beginning to color, 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the celery root and stir to coat with the butter. Pour in the chicken broth, and then add the thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and purée the soup in a blender until smooth. Pass the soup through a medium-fine sieve and transfer to a clean pot.
  • Bring the soup back up to a simmer, whisk in the crème fraîche (please don’t omit this important ingredient), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep hot.
  • Heat 1/2 inch of canola oil in a 1-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery leaves and cook until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the celery leaves to a plate lined with paper towels.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the celery leaves.

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Recipe by Melissa Pellegrino  for Fine Cooking