Ease of Preparation: Easy
Yield: 4-5 servings
Chef Siobhan Detkavich is cooking for… Virgo! So… what does an Earth sign ruled by Mercury eat? You simply can’t cook a meal for a Virgo without featuring extra virgin olive oil. Warm, healing, and creamy celery root soup is an earthy treat especially designed to please the Virgo in your life.
Ingredients:
Pumpernickel Croutons:
- 4 cups (950 ml) pumpernickel bread, cut in ¾ inch (18 mm) cubes
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Celery Root Soup:
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium leek, cleaned and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 pound (454 g) celery root, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) celery seeds
- 1 quart (1 L) low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 2-inch (5 cm) piece ginger, sliced
- ½ bunch parsley, stems, leaves reserved for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup (120 ml) whipping cream
- ½ lemon, juice
- Salt and white pepper
Garnish:
- Olive oil, to drizzle
- Cracked black pepper, to finish
- Celery leaves, to garnish
- Parsley Leaves (see above), to garnish
Method:
For the Pumpernickel Croutons:
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C)
In a bowl, toss the cubed pumpernickel with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake the croutons for 12 minutes. Reserve at room temperature until needed.
For the Celery Root Soup:
Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add the leek, garlic, celery, and celery root and sauté, stirring, for 4-5 minutes, until starting to soften but not brown. Add the celery seeds, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, ginger, parsley stems and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once vegetables are soft, add cream and lemon juice and heat for 1 minute. Season with salt and white pepper.
Using a blender, blend the soup in batches until very smooth
To Serve:
Ladle the soup into warm bowls and garnish with pumpernickel croutons, a drizzle of olive oil, cracked black pepper, celery leaves, and parsley leaves.
Serve immediately.