Chunky vegetable soup to warm ya up? Sounds good, huh? This celery root soup is jam packed with celery root and other hearty root veggies, like potato, carrot and leek. It’s seriously delicious and just what you want on a cold winter day.
Hi friends!
Bringing you a hearty vegetable soup recipe today and I couldn’t be happier!
There’s definitely nothing fancy here. Not even close.
I’d even go ahead and say this one is pretty rustic.
Who says something has to be ‘fancy’ to taste good?
Certainly not me!
Once you give this celery root soup a try, you’ll be hooked. Promise.
Ingredients for Celery Root Soup
- Celery root (of course), plus other root veggies, like potato, carrot and leek
- Garlic
- Veggie broth
- Salt, pepper & thyme
- Olive oil
- Cashews & nutritional yeast (or your favourite dairy, if you want)
What is Celery Root?
Celery root or celeriac is a hearty root veggie that’s almost like a cross between turnip and parsnip/celery.
Though the name has ‘root’ in it, it’s definitely not the ‘root’ of celery. Nope, it’s something entirely unique on its own and deserves to shine!
You can find it along other root veggies, like beets, turnip, parsnip and so forth right in your local grocery store or farmer’s market.
Friends, please don’t judge this veggie by how it looks.
This ain’t the prettiest veggie in the world.
One may say kinda ugly.
What this bad boy lacks in appearance, it makes up for in the ol’ flavour department. It doesn’t hurt that it’s so versatile too! Celery root is lovely in soups and stews, mashed, pureed and roasted.
The exterior and interior looks somewhat like a turnip, but it has a lot of celery/parsnip vibes in the smell and taste.
To prepare, you clean up, cut off the knobby bits, peel and carefully cut into chunks; basically, prepare it like you would a turnip or some beets. This is a great guide that you may find useful.
You should definitely consider adding this veggie to your menu soon and, if ya do, I’d love to hear how you enjoy it!
I couldn’t stop smelling my hands after I had cut into in. I know, I’m an odd one 😉
Cashew Cream
Replace dairy in this creamy veggie soup with cashew cream. It’s seriously amazing how some cashews can turn into a creamy dairy free (but dairy-like) replacement!
Tip: Want creamy vegetable soup without using cashew cream? No worries! Simply stir in a little half-and-half or heavy cream instead.
And, don’t worry. This isn’t going to taste overly nutty or ‘cashewy’. Cashew cream has a pretty neutral flavour.
Tip: Use raw ‘unsalted’ cashews here.
How to Make This Root Vegetable Soup
Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:
- In a large pot heat olive oil and cook leek, carrot and garlic.
- Add celery root and potato, along with salt, pepper and thyme.
- Pour over veggie broth.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until veggies are softened.
- Remove a couple of cups of soup from the pot; blend removed soup (with an immersion blender) and add back to pot.
- Add cashew cream to pot. Give a little stir.
- The delicious celery root soup is ready. Now it’s time to enjoy!
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Can I Blend The Whole Batch?
Yes!
I happen to enjoy the texture of leaving some veggies chunky, but you do what makes your belly happy!
Can I Freeze This Soup?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this soup but, honestly, it’s so yummy it will disappear fast!
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
Soup Topping Ideas
- Homemade croutons
- Chopped fresh herbs
- Shredded cheese or dollop of goat cheese
- Green onion or chives
- Drizzle of cream or yogurt
- Crushed crackers
More Helpful Tips & Variations
Prep the celery root just before use so it doesn’t oxidize. If you do prep just a little in advance, place in a bowl of cold water with a little splash of vinegar or lemon (to prevent browning) and store in the fridge.
Want even more celery root flavour? Replace the potato with more celery root!
If you have more or less of a particular veggie, no worries! Use what you have on hand.
Don’t have leek? Use white or yellow onion instead.
Unsalted veggie broth is used. If you use anything otherwise, like regular or ‘low sodium’ consider adjusting the salt added.
Nutritional yeast is used in the cashew cream. It adds nutrition, thickens a little and adds somewhat of a slight cheesy flavour. Prefer to omit? That’s okay! And, if you use dairy (as mentioned below), omit.
Speaking of cashew cream, if you’d rather not use, that’s fine too. You can swirl in about ½ cup or so of half-and-half or heavy cream at the end of cook time instead.
More Delicious Veggie Soups
Hope you love this creamy vegetable soup as much as we do!
Make this veggie soup? That’s awesome! Love it if you leave a comment below.
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Celery Root Soup (with other root veggies!)
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- ½ cup raw unsalted cashews
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup unsalted vegetable broth
- 1 to 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Celery Root Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small leek , sliced in half and thinly sliced into half moons (about 1.5 cups)
- 1 large carrot , peeled and cut small (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 pounds celery root , peeled and cut into small cubes (about 7 cups)
- 1 pound potato , peeled and cut into small cubes (about 3 cups)
- 1 to 1.25 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme)
- 5 to 6 cups unsalted vegetable broth
Instructions
Cashew Cream
- Place cashews in a small pot with water and bring to a simmer. Reduce to a low-medium simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes to soften cashews. Drain and rinse.
- Place cashews in high-speed/powered blender and combine with nutritional yeast and broth.
- Cover & blend until smooth and not grainy. Time may vary depending on how powerful your blender is. I don't add any salt, but you could if you prefer. Lay to one side.Note: If you want things thicker, use less broth.And, if you have time, an alternative way to soak cashews is to places cashews in a bowl, boil some water and pour over cashews, covering about an inch or so. Soak for 2 hours. Drain/rinse and proceed with recipe.
Celery Root Soup
- In a large pot on medium heat, add olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add leek, carrot and garlic. Stir and cook 5 minutes.
- Add celery root, potato, salt, pepper and thyme. Stir to coat. Pour in vegetable broth (I use 6 cups, but use 5 if you want a thicker consistency).
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to a medium-ish simmer, cover and cook 25 to 30 minutes or until veggies are tender.
- Remove two cups of soup and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir back into soup.
- Stir in prepared cashew cream. Adjust seasoning to taste, if necessary.Note: If you want to use dairy instead of cashew cream, stir in ½ cup or so of half and half or heavy cream instead.
- Portion, garnish (if desired) and enjoy!
Notes
- Prep the celery root just before use so it doesn’t oxidize. If you do prep just a little in advance, place in a bowl of cold water with a little splash of vinegar or lemon (to prevent browning) and store in the fridge.
- Want even more celery root flavour? Replace the potato with more celery root!
- If you have more or less of a particular veggie, no worries! Use what you have on hand.
- Don’t have leek? Use white or yellow onion instead.
- Unsalted veggie broth is used. If you use anything otherwise, like regular or ‘low sodium’ consider adjusting the salt added.
- Nutritional yeast is used in the cashew cream. It adds nutrition, thickens a little and adds somewhat of a slight cheesy flavour. Prefer to omit? That’s oay!
- Speaking of cashew cream, if you’d rather not use, that’s fine too. You can swirl in about ½ cup to 1 cup of half-and-half or heavy cream at the end of cook time instead.
Nutrition information (if provided) is provided as a courtesy and should be considered an estimate only. Ingredients can vary and Girl Heart Food makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
