Celery Root and Caramelized Pear Soup
Serves: 6
Have you ever tried celery root (celeriac)? You can find these ugly duckling looking round gnarly bulbs in the grocery store vegetable section. I was curious to see what I could make with it. I gave it a taste and it is surprisingly sweet–not celery tasting at all. Inspired by a recipe by Chef Alfred Poratle, we Garden of Eydie-it, tweaked it a bit and made this warming soup, sure to turn you into a celery root fan! This is an elegant, party worthy soup. By the way, celeriac is a good source of vitamins C & K, supporting heart and bone health.
Have you ever tried celery root (celeriac)? You can find these ugly duckling looking round gnarly bulbs in the grocery store vegetable section. I was curious to see what I could make with it. I gave it a taste and it is surprisingly sweet–not celery tasting at all. Inspired by a recipe by Chef Alfred Poratle, we Garden of Eydie-it, tweaked it a bit and made this warming soup, sure to turn you into a celery root fan! This is an elegant, party worthy soup. By the way, celeriac is a good source of vitamins C & K, supporting heart and bone health.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced yellow or white onion
- ¼ cup sliced celery
- ¼ cup thinly sliced leek (white and light green parts only)
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- 2-½ cups (about 12 ounces) diced celery root (peeled, then diced to ½-inch pieces)
- ½ cup peeled and chopped Idaho potato
- 2-3 Bosc pears, peeled, cut in half, cored and cut into medium dice (about 1 cup). Reserve pear peel.
- 4-½ cups Vegetable stock, or other no-salt vegetable stock
- bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 5 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, wrapped together in cheesecloth and tied with kitchen string)
- freshly ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- prepared diced pears (from above)
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Directions
- Warm a large, heavy bottomed 5 or 6-quart pot over medium-heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add onions, celery and leeks, and dry sauté for 2 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and cover the pot for 2 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook, stirring from time to time, for about 6 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent, but not browned. Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable stock, if needed, to prevent vegetables from sticking to the pot. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in celery root, potatoes, pear skin and leftover pear flesh scraps, vegetable stock and bouquet garni. Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Season with white pepper, stir, reduce heat, and cover. Cook at a simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, reserving the solids and liquid separately. Discard the bouquet garni.
- Working in batches, place the solids in a blender or food processor and purée, adding in some of the liquid until the mixture is thick and smooth. Transfer the purée to a bowl.
- Slowly stir in any remaining stock until the soup attains a thick, creamy consistency. You should have about 6 cups of soup.
- Taste, add lemon juice to brighten the flavors and add more white pepper to taste. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
- Pour the honey into a small saucepan and warm it over medium-high heat until it bubbles and turns amber-colored, about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced pears and rosemary sprig. Cook, tossing and stirring until the pears are slightly softened and richly glazed. Add balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the caramelized pears and sauce to a small bowl. (Discard the rosemary sprig)
Ladle the soup in six warmed soup bowls and place a spoonful of the caramelized pear in the center of each dish. Drizzle the balsamic sauce over the soup.
