Let’s talk about a happy marriage: celery root and apple. They complement each other, balance each other out, and bring out the best in each other. What else can I say? This classic combination works especially well in soups and purees. Well, there was still a celery root sitting in my fridge when my youngest daughter Flo came home with a bag of self–picked and fragrant Macintosh apples. Both ingredients ended up in this favorite fall soup. Have it on a chilly fall afternoon in front of an open fire, like we did, and be happy.
Soup, serves 4
Action Time: 15-20 minutes + 25-30 minutes cooking time
1 celery root (about 1.6 lb/600 g)
2 apples
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups/1 liter good quality vegetable stock
4 oz/125 ml heavy cream
a small handful of walnuts, coarsely chopped
a small handful of flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
walnut oil, for drizzling
Extra: hand blender
1. Peel and dice the celery root. Peel, core, and dice the apples.
2. Heat the olive oil in a soup pan, add the onions and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the rosemary, celery root, and apples and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer over a low heat, covered, for about 25-30 minutes until the celery root and apples are very soft.
3. Remove from the heat and blend the soup with a hand blender until very smooth. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve the soup in bowls. Sprinkle with walnuts, parsley, and drizzle with some walnut oil.
SOUP
Almost every soup tastes better the next day and this celery root soup is no exception. Let the flavors develop for at least a couple of hours (or a night) for an intense and rich soup.