Creamy Celeriac Soup

About this Recipe

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By: Rachel

Creamy celeriac soup is the kind of dish that proves simple ingredients can be truly luxurious. If you’ve never cooked with this knobby root vegetable before, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Also known as cream of celery root soup, it’s smooth, earthy, and quietly elegant. This recipe absolutely makes it easy to let an often-overlooked ingredient shine.

A Taste for the Unusual: The Joy of Rare Vegetables

I love vegetables, and I have an unfortunate affinity for the rarer ones. The harder to find, the more difficult to cultivate, the shorter their growing season – the more I desire them. Belgian endive, sunchokes, white asparagus, morel mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns, Afghan gandana, finger limes, mangosteen, fresh passionfruit… I relish them all.

Perhaps it is their novelty that makes them so alluring. The thrill of the (farmers’ market) hunt makes it all the more satisfying when I do finally get to enjoy these treats.

Discovering Celeriac for the First Time

Celeriac, or celery root, is one of those vegetables that is a little harder to come by. Fortunately, these days, you can usually find them at markets with excellent produce selections. Still, there are many who have never tasted this unique vegetable.

When I first came across one—in a ​CSA box​—I was perplexed. Celeriac is not likely to win any produce beauty pageants (how come there aren’t produce beauty pageants?) With its thick, gnarled, hairy exterior, it kind of looks like a grumpy coconut.

Celeriac resembles a root vegetable, but does not exactly grow underground. Most of the bulb protrudes from the soil, sort of like a giant carrot being pushed out of the ground. The many small offshoots on the bulb are actually the root parts of the plant.

The Taste Behind Creamy Celeriac Soup

Not unlike a few people I know, once you work your way through its tough and off-putting exterior, celeriac is sweet and delicious inside. It has a very mild nutty taste, reminiscent of celery but with a sweeter and more complex flavor. (I hate raw celery, but I love the taste of celeriac).

Its subtle earthiness and smooth, mellow flavor make it a dream ingredient for soups, where it can take center stage without overpowering other components. That’s what makes celery root soup such a standout. The vegetable’s natural starches help create a velvety texture when puréed. This is further enhanced when paired with a touch of butter or cream.

Elevate Your Creamy Celeriac Soup with a Fresh Salad

This French Green Salad with Bûcheron Toasts is a delightful contrast to the rich and earthy flavors of the creamy celeriac soup. The salad features crisp greens dressed in a tangy Champagne vinaigrette, topped with warm, melty Bûcheron cheese on toasted baguette slices.

Creamy Celeriac Soup

Once you try this deceptively simple soup—with just six ingredients—delicate celeriac will become one of your favorite vegetables.

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Ready In 45 minutes mins

Meal Type Soup

Good For American, Comfort, Seasonal

Yield 4 Servings

Equipment

• Chef's Knife
• Cutting board
• Heavy Stockpot
• High-Powered Blender optional, to create a smooth purée
• Immersion Blender optional, to create a not-quite-as-smooth but still lovely purée
• Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
• Measuring cups and spoons or kitchen scale

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot (chopped)
• 2 medium bulbs celeriac (each will be roughly the size of a large grapefruit)
• Kosher salt
• 3 cups (700mL) chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ cup (120mL) heavy cream
• Finely-chopped parsley or chives to garnish Optional

Step by Step Instructions

 

Step 1

• Using a sharp knife, slice the bottom and top off the celeriac bulb. Switching to a smaller knife if necessary, slice the skin off the bulb, as if you were making citrus suprȇmes. Do not worry about removing too much flesh; it is somewhat impossible to avoid.

Step 2

• Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. While the butter is melting, cut the celeriac into medium chunks.
• Add the shallot to the melted butter and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the celeriac, stir to coat, and season with kosher salt. Sauté until the chunks of celeriac become browned and begin to soften.
  

Step 3

• Add the chicken stock or vegetable stock, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, for 30 minutes or so, until the celeriac chunks are cooked through and the stock has reduced (it should just cover the vegetables).
  

Step 4

• Transfer to a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, and purée until completely smooth. Return to the saucepan and whisk in the cream. Simmer gently for 10 minutes or so, allowing the flavors to meld.

Step 5

• Taste the soup and correct the seasoning. Divide among serving bowls, and garnish with chives or parsley if desired.