With a celery-like flavour, celery root (or celeriac) is a knobbly brown vegetable available from September to May.
Silky-smooth, with the subtle flavours of pear and celery, every spoonful is a delight in this soup that's elegant enough for entertaining.
Serve this soup hot on cold days or cold on warm ones. Organic celery is easy to find; it has a more pronounced taste than conventionally grown celery and is highly recommended.
Shredded Oka cheese tops this gratin. Celery root, or celeriac, is a knobbly, hairy root found in the produce section of most grocery stores. A sharp, flexible knife removes the peel easier than a vegetable peeler. Trim both ends of the celery root, then stand it on the flat end. Following the contour, cut downward to remove the skin.
Pureeing this ultrasimple small-batch soup gives it a smooth texture, so there's no need for cream. Shred the remaining celery root and add it to salads.
Celery root will never win a beauty contest, but as the hero of a fall harvest soup, it gets the prize every time.
Celery and apple add to the subtle sweetness of parsnip in this smooth soup. Frizzled leeks add a touch of restaurant flair, but croutes or croutons will also work.
Celery root and truffle oil add exotic flavour to mashed potatoes. If you can't find truffle oil, use extra-virgin olive oil.
The nutty flavour of celery root (sometimes called celeriac) combines with apples to make this fine soup mildly perfumed with curry. It's delightful to look at in wide old-fashioned soup bowls or glass cups. Choose a juicy apple such as Gravenstein, Spartan or McIntosh for this recipe.
Using olive oil instead of butter makes this lovely light green purée vegan.
