Celery Root and Caramelized Pear Soup

Serves: 5

Written By Eydie Desser

Have you ever tried Celery Root (Celeriac)? You usually see these ugly duckling looking round gnarly bulbs in the vegetable section. I was curious to see what I could make with them. They are surprisingly sweet, not celery tasting at all! You’ll definitely become a fan after making this warming, satisfying soup.

Ingredients

For the soup:

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 TB)
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, sliced in half, cored and cut into medium dice (about 1 cup), and set aside. Reserve peeled skin and leftover flesh reserved in a small bowl.
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

For the Caramelized Pears:

2 tablespoons honey
1 rosemary sprig
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

Make the Soup:

Warm a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add onions, celery and leeks, and 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 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 puree, adding some of the liquid until the mixture is thick and smooth. Transfer the puree 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, and add lemon juice to brighten the flavors, adding more white pepper to taste. Set aside, and cover to keep warm.

Make the Caramelized Pears:

While the soup is simmering

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)

To Serve: