Celeriac Soup

This was supposed to be an Easter post. I was even going to make a cute reference to the egg-like shape of the celery root (celeriac) that I picked up the other day... but then life intervened, and the Easter-egg reference is now all-but-useless.

I had a giant celery root (celeriac) forcibly gifted to me at the Turkish market the other day. I bought a handful of bell peppers from a shop keeper who obviously had an over-supply of root vegetables on hand, and he snuck a celeriac in my bag when I wasn't looking. It sat around my kitchen for almost a week, looking lumpy and forlorn, before I finally got around to using it for something.

That something ended up being this tangy, creamy soup. I find the taste of straight celeriac too strong - think of the inner stalks of a bunch of celery - but I found that the eggplant and lemon helped balance that into something a bit friendlier-tasting. In fact, in the future I might even use a few more eggplants for a smoother taste.

You'll need either a blender or immersion blender for this soup, but as long as you have that available you could do dozens of variations on this theme - for example, adding curry powder, or some chopped apples. (Think of the scrumptious flavor of fried apples and onions, then imagine the pleasant surprise of finding apples in your dinner soup.) Leave out the bacon for a vegetarian version, substitute soy milk for a vegan treat. I think it would be hard to go terribly wrong with this base.




Celeriac Soup
I left this soup rather thick, but you could thin it down with more milk if you want. Leaving it thick, I think it would make a nice veggie dip as well - especially with a bit of tahini blended in.

Ingredients:

2 Leeks
1 Celeriac
2 small eggplants
1 cube vegetable bullion
4 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces
1 orange bellpepper, chopped (reserve about 1/4 for garnish)

6 Tbs milk
2 Tbs lemon juice
about 1/2 tsp each, cinnamon and pepper

Prepare the Celeriac and Leeks:
Slice leeks thinly, and cut the celeriac into cubes about the size of dice. Dump them all in a pot and just cover with cold water. Crumble your boullion cube over the top, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until very soft, about 30 minutes.

Broil the Eggplant:
Meanwhile, halve the eggplants and put them under the broiler until the skins wrinkle and they get more-or-less squishy. This should take about 20 minutes.

Brown the Bacon and Bell Peppers:
While the eggplants are broiling, brown the bacon over medium-high heat until the fat is mostly melted off. Dump off most of the fat, leaving just a tablespoon or two. Add the bell pepper and sautee for a few minutes, until the pieces are softened. Turn the heat off and let this sit while you prep the eggplant.

Peel the Eggplant:
When the eggplant is soft, pull it out of the oven and let it cool a few minutes. When you can handle it comfortably, peel the skin off. You should be able to just grab the skin on one and and peel it back, like a banana. Throw the skin away.

Blend the Soup:
Chop the eggplant into rough chunks, to help it blend more easily. If you have an immersion blender, you can can add this to the pot with the celeriac and leeks. Hold off on the bell pepper for now. If you have a regular blender, dump the celeriac, leeks, cooking liquid, and eggplant in together. Add about half the milk and start blending. Add the rest of the milk slowly, blend thoroughly, and add the lemon juice. When the soup is nice and creamy, add the bell pepper and bacon and blend for a few more pulses. You want to leave a little bit of texture here. Stir in the cinnamon and pepper.

To Serve:
Dish up the soup and sprinkle a bit of chopped bell pepper on top for color. Sprinkle with cinnamon and pepper (fresh ground, if you have it).