In grammar school mathematics you learn early on that a negative plus a negative is more negative, but a negative times a negative equals a positive…it’s all very confusing when you’re nine, especially because in real life when do you ever see a negative and a negative becoming anything besides EXTRA NEGATIVE? I’m not sure that this analogy exactly translates to this recipe (am I really multiplying ingredients?) but all I know is that celery has a terrible texture, celery root has a look (and frankly taste) only its mother could love, but when you combine them together in this soup, magic happens, the angels sing and it’s the best soup you’ve eaten in a long time.

This is of course saying a lot, because I have eaten nothing but soup for three weeks straight and it takes A LOT to impress me at this point. I certainly did not expect the stringy celery and the humble celeriac to make this big an impact, but they did and I felt it my duty to pass along the secret to cozy, flavorful soup. Also, it is extremely easy to make and is also very cost effective.

If you are a little skeptical because of your previous relationship with celery or its root, let me try to explain how good this tastes. Celery is unpopular because its texture leaves something to desire – no one likes string in their teeth – but its flavor is actually very watery and bright (sort of analogous to a cucumber?). Celery root, on the other hand, has a nice enough texture, but it can be rather bitter and earthy on its own. Together though, the sweet offsets the bitter, and it creates a very flavorful, well balanced soup.

The soup is excellent on its own, but it gets exponentially better (there we go with the loose math again) with the accoutrements. You must drizzle some creme fraiche across your soup bowl. You must then top the entire thing with croutons that have been lightly fried in olive oil and curry powder- such an unexpectedly great complement to the flavors of the soup. My liquid diet requires that I drown the croutons in the soup until they are thoroughly soggy and in no way resemble croutons, but for you the extra crunch will be welcome in an otherwise smooth soup.

I hope you like soup because I have…several…more to share over the coming couple of weeks, at which point I swear we will all happily return to solid foods and this soupy period will be a distant memory, a blip on the radar. Until then!

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Celery-Celery Soup

Category: Soups & Stews

Servings: Serves 8-10

Ingredients

    For the Soup:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 celery stalks with leaves, trimmed and sliced
  • 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
  • 2 sweet apples, such as McIntosh or Fuji, peeled, cored and cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb. celery root, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 thyme sprig
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • Creme fraiche or sour cream, for serving
    For the Croutons:
  • 2 cups stale bread
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over low heat. Toss in the sliced celery, onions and apples, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the celery root cubes and turn them around in the butter. Toss the herbs into the pot, add the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook at a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the celery root is soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon. If you can, pull out the bay leaf and what's left of the thyme.
  2. Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until it is very smooth; or use an immersion blender. (If you're using a processor or immersion blender, you probably won't get a super-smooth soup. If you'd like, you can push the pureed soup through a strainer, but it's really not necessary.) Reheat if needed and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. To make the croutons, cut enough crustless stale bread into small cubes. Melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a large skillet and stir in 1/4 teaspoon curry powder. Toss in the bread and cook, stirring and turning, over medium-high heat just until the croutons are browned. Season with salt and pepper and perhaps a pinch more curry powder.
  4. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with creme fraiche or sour cream and croutons.

Notes

https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2018/01/24/celery-celery-soup/