Well, finals are done and it is time to celebrate the holidays.  I am looking forward to spending the next few weeks with family and friends, resting up before winter term starts.

I want to start a new “series” on my blog called Food Explorations where I explore a food I haven’t cooked with a lot, or have never eaten.  The first entry is devoted to celery root, which I whipped up into a creamy Roasted Celeriac Soup.

Celeriac Photo by emptyhighway

I have to admit I had never eaten celery root, let alone cooked with it.  My curiosity all started when I read an article on different root vegetables.  Unfortunately, roots aren’t always my favorite, but I decided I wanted to see if I could experiment with ones I have never used in order to get the full range of nutrients and flavors in my diet.  According to Rebecca Wood in The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, celeriac aids digestion and supports the lymphatic, nervous and urinary systems.  It is useful for those with kidney stones and arthritis.  It tastes very similar to celery with a much richer quality.

It’s amazing how such a gnarled and unrefined root vegetable can turn into a smooth and delicate soup.  I calculated the nutrients in this recipe and each serving only contains about 115 calories, although you would think it was loaded with butter and cream to taste it.  So enjoy guiltlessly!

Unfortunately I don’t have a picture because our camera was out of juice.  Just picture a smooth, creamy soup with flecks of thyme.  Delicious!

Roasted Celeriac Soup Recipe

Serves Four

1 large to medium sized celeriac root, cleaned

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 tbl olive oil

3 garlic cloves, cut into quarters

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 tsp dried thyme

white and black pepper

salt

1.) Preheat over to 350 degrees.

2.) Cut celeriac in half into two large pieces.  Using a knife, cut off the outer layer, revealing the white inside.  Chop into cubes.

3.) Place celeriac cubes on a baking sheet.  Use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat celeriac and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.  Roast for 30 minutes in the oven.

4.) Meanwhile, add the other tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and heat on medium.  Add onion and saute for a minute or so.  Add bay leaves and a little salt.  Cover and reduce heat, cooking for about 10 minutes, allowing the onions to slightly caramalize.

5.) Once the celeriac is done roasting, add it to the pot with the onions, covering with chicken or vegetable broth.  Add garlic cloves and thyme.  Simmer for about 10-15 more minutes.

6.) Remove bay leaves and transfer to a blender or food processor.  Add white pepper to taste and blend until smooth.  Add more broth if soup needs thinning.