Do you cook with a celery root (also called celeriac)? It's in season right about now.. along with other root vegetables like parsnip and rutbaga and it's divine! It has a unique mild lemony celery-ish taste. I find it to be an amazing starch to be working with in fall and quite fancy compared to the same old potatoes or parsnips.
It can be quite daunting, and to be frank - unappealing, the very first time you are faced with picking one up... in it's unprocessed form it resembles a misshapen turnip with beards growing here and there. But once you get past the unfamiliarity of a new intimidating vegetable, it's actually quite a pleasure to cook with and very easy!
Just peel the outer skin using a knife and chop into bite sized pieces and then you can use it wherever you would use a potato or parsnip. I like this soup in particular because it let's the subtle taste of celery root shine, enhancing it's lemony flavor and at the same time not inviting a direct comparison to the popular cousin - potatoes!
The recipe is very simple: heat olive oil in a large pot. When warm, add 1 leek (chopped), 2 celery sticks (chopped) and 1 celery root (chopped into bite sized pieces). Saute, season with salt & pepper. After a few minutes, add enough water (about 6C to start with and add more as needed depending on the consistency of the soup you prefer). Cover and let cook for ~30 minutes. Remove from heat. Using immersion blender puree the soup. Season with a dash of cream and few red chili flakes for added heat! Enjoy :)
A very happy Thanksgiving to all of you! May this weekend and the holidays be filled with happy times with friends and family and lots and lots of delicious food!
(celeriac)