Celeriac and Leek Soup

Celeriac and leek soup is a mild and comforting soup for cold winter days. Celeriac (also known as celery root) has just come into season, and I picked up one from my local  market: https://farmerandson.com.au/  Don’t judge it by its looks! It’s an underrated vegetable as it be used in many ways – boiling, roasting or mashing it with other root vegetables. You can also grate it raw to have in salads, or make a remoulade.

You will have gathered that I’m a fan of soups in winter. I made up a thermos of this soup to drive to my cousin Anna’s farm in the Southern Highlands. This soup has just a few ingredients, but you can make it more elegant if you wish by adding some chopped chives and a swirl of cream just before serving. The cashews give the soup a velvety texture. I’ve made it with vegetable stock, but you can also make it with chicken stock.

Don’t throw out the celeriac stems. You can freeze them to make a vegetable stock, and you can also use the leaves to make pesto: Spring Minestrone with Celeriac Leaf Pesto

Save the dark green part of the leek for another dish: Sautéed Leeks with Egg and Dukkah

Best wishes,

Amanda

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Print Recipe

Celeriac and Leek Soup

a mild-tasting, comforting winter soup, delicious with chopped chives and swirl of cream

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Author: Amanda Lawson

Ingredients

• 1 celeriac, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
• 1 leek, white part chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 sticks celery, washed and choppped (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1.25 L vegetable stock substitute with chicken stock
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper
• cream, to serve
• chives, washed and chopped, to serve

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté choppped leeks and celery for about 10 minutes until soft.
• Add chopped celeriac, cashews and stock, then bring to the boil.
• Turn heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes until the celeriac is soft when pierced with an knife.
• Remove from heat, cool for about 10 minutes, then purée with a hand-held blender.
• Serve with chopped chives and a swirl of cream if you wish.

Notes

The soup will keep in the fridge for up to three days. It is suitable to freeze. In this case, omit the cream and add just before serving.