Zesty Celeriac Soup

Don't judge a book by its cover. Even though celeriac root is known as "the ugly root," its true claim to fame is its superfood potential and copious amounts of healing nutrients. 

Image courtesy of Juicing for Health

Celeriac is also known as turnip-rooted celery, knob celery or celery root and is a type of celery that is grown for its edible roots. Although it's in the celery family, the root itself is very different than celery. The taste of celeriac is similar to the upper stem of celery with a slight amount of bitterness.  Once it's washed thoroughly and peeled it can be eaten raw or cooked. 

Image courtesy of Epicurious

There are several nutritional benefits to celeriac root. It's a good source of:

• Vitamin K (great for bone health)

• Fiber (good for digestion, blood sugar control and cholesterol)

• Vitamin C (boosts the immune system)

• B Vitamins (assist with converting food into energy)

• Potassium (helps with blood pressure)

• Phosphorus (good for bone health)

We recently received celeriac in our Fresh Harvest box and I honestly was not sure what to do with it. What I love about Fresh Harvest is receiving fruits and vegetables that I would walk right past in the grocery store. Not only does the box deliver organic, local produce but it introduces us to new produce and inspires us to try new things! Variety is truly the spice of life.

Below is an adaptation of Creamy Celeriac Soup from Fat Free Vegan.

Servings: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil (use water or veggie broth for oil-free)

• 1 large celeriac root, scrubbed and peeled, cut into 3/4" cubes

• 1 medium white beet, scrubbed and peeled, cut into 3/4" cubes (optional — I happened to have this in my fridge and wanted to use it, but this recipe works without it as well.)

• 1 medium yellow onion , chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

• 2-3 whole sage leaves

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)

• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used flax milk)

• 1 tsp lemon juice

How to Make

1. Heat the avocado oil (or water or broth) in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Sauté the onion on medium heat until the onion turns translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.

3. Stir in the thyme, sage, salt and pepper, allowing them to release their fragrance, cooking for about 30 seconds.

4. Add the celeriac root and beet (if using) and 3 cups of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until celeriac is tender about 20-30 minutes.

5. Once the celeriac is tender, turn off the heat and remove the sage leaves.

6. Pour cooked celeriac, broth and the remaining one cup of broth into a blender and puree, starting at a low speed and increasing to high, in batches if necessary, until completely smooth.

7. Add non-dairy milk and lemon juice to the soup and blend on low.

8. Pour back into the pot and add white pepper and salt.

9. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, adding additional broth if the soup gets too thick.

10. Add more salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

11. Garnish with chives (yum!) and add a squeeze of lemon.

12. Other options: add chopped cilantro or basil for extra flavor. Include greens like spinach by stirring a cup of spinach into the soup when it's hot so it wilts naturally.

Eat this alongside a big vibrant salad or before your main meal. It's a pretty light soup but filling at the same time due to the fiber (about 3 grams per serving) and water content in the veggies. Let me know what you think!