Celeriac Soup with Crispy Shiitakes
Makes 6 servings | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes
Sometimes I wonder who was the first brave soul to tear apart a celery root and cook with it. To look at a celery root (or celeriac) and see promise is the definition of an optimist; it’s knobby, hairy covering gives no hint of the delicacy within, but it’s there, all the same. Sautéed with garlic, leek, and fennel, it yields a very pleasant taste that just cries out for a little spice--in this case, shaved nutmeg--to take this soup right over the top.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large leek, white part only, rinsed and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
Sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds celery root (celeriac), peeled and diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
6 cups Magic Mineral Broth
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon Grade B maple syrup
1 cup Crispy Shiitakes, for garnish
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the leek, celery, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the vegetables begin to get tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, then stir in the celery root, fennel, and another ¼ teaspoon salt. Sauté about 5 minutes more, stirring often. Pour in ½ cup of the broth to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
Add the remaining 5½ cups of broth and another ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
In a blender, puree the soup in batches until very smooth, each time adding the cooking liquid first and then the celery root mixture, and adding additional liquid, as needed. Pour the soup back into the pot, heat gently, and stir in the lemon juice. Taste; you may want to add a pinch more salt. Serve garnished with the mushrooms or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reprinted with permissions from Clean Soups, copyright © 2016 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.