Author Notes
I have long been a fan of celery root, happily eating it roasted, pureed, mashed. But celery, well, i only eat it in tuna fish salad or in mirepoix. So I thought “wouldn’t it be fun to put the 2 celeries side by side in some way?” In creating this recipe for two-soups-side-by-side, my goal was really to demonstrate the difference between the flavors of celery and celery root. In so doing, i wanted to present their flavors in their purest forms, not masked (or enhanced!) by alot of other flavors. So i began by minimizing my list of ingredients. Then i decided that i would work with the identical ingredients for the 2 soups, the only difference being the star player- one featuring celery, the other celery root. I chose roasting as their cooking method- to highlight their natural sweetness.
And in a presentation epiphany, i created a way to present the 2 soups side by side ...in the same bowl! (and no, not a bowl with a partition!) How?... read on! >>Two Celery Sisters Embracing!
(photo to follow soon) —LeBec Fin
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Ingredients
- Celery (Sky Sister) Soup
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8 ounces
celery ribs, peeled and cut into 2- 3" lengths
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olive oil
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kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1 small-medium
shallot, minced *
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3 pinches
dried thyme**
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1 1/2 cups
chicken stock
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1/2-1 cups
chicken stock
- Celery Root (Earth Sister) Soup
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10 ounces
celery root,to yield 5 ounces roasted weight, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
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olive oil
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kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1 small-medium
shallot* (see above note)
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3 pinches
dried thyme** (see note above)
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1 cup
chicken stock
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1 cup
chicken stock
Directions
- Celery (Sky Sister) Soup
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Toss celery with oil, salt and pepper and put in a single layer in a roasting pan in a 350 degree F oven for 20-30 minutes til tender.
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Saute shallot over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add roasted celery, chicken stock and thyme. Cover pot, bring to boil, turn down to simmer for about 30 minutes, til celery is very soft.(Check after 15 minutes to make sure the liquid has not evaporated.)
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Puree soup in mini processor or bender and pour back into pot. Adjust seasoning and add more chicken stock as needed for desired thickness.
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Note:
* You can substitute 1 clove roasted garlic for the shallot.
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**1 Tablespoon of fresh lovage would be even better than the thyme because lovage has a lovely sweet celery perfume.
- Celery Root (Earth Sister) Soup
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Toss celery root with enough oil to coat it, salt and pepper ,and put in a single layer in a roasting pan in a 350 degree F oven for 20-30 minutes til tender.Remove from oven.
Set aside 5 ounces of roasted celery root for the soup.
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In a little hot olive oil , saute shallot over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 5 ounces roasted celery root, 1 cup chicken stock and thyme. Cover pot, bring to boil and turn down to simmer for about 20 minutes, til celery root is very soft.(Check after 10 minutes to make sure the liquid has not evaporated.)
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Puree soup in mini processor or blender and pour back into pot. Add 1 cup chicken stock. Adjust seasoning and add more chicken stock as needed for desired thickness.
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Assembly of 2 soups in one bowl:
Heat the two soups. In the center of each bowl (or one at a time) place a ring that has been sprayed inside and out with a non-stick spray.
Pour celery root soup in the center of the ring and fill the ring to the top. Holding the ring in place, pour the celery soup around the outside of the ring, to the top of the ring. Remove the ring, gently lifting straight up. Repeat with other bowls.You can create a sun image in the center if you pull a knife tip out from the celery root soup and into the celery soup, like rays of the sun.
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Garnish with a celery sprig or sliced celery chevron.
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Note: Choose your bowls based on how high your ring is. For your ring, many different things can be used- an actual cake ring or a straight sided deep biscuit cutter or a semi-flexible thin clear tube, cut to your desired length. (see photos)
My eating passions are Japanese, Indian, Mexican; with Italian and French following close behind. Turkish/Arabic/Mediterranean cuisines are my latest culinary fascination. My desert island ABCs are actually 4 Cs: citrus, cumin, cilantro, cardamom, and GARLIC! I am so excited by the level of sophistication that I see on Food52 and hope to contribute recipes that will inspire you like yours do me. I would like to ask a favor of all who do try a recipe of mine > Would you plse review it and tell me truthfully how it worked for you and/or how you think it would be better? I know many times we feel that we don't want to hurt someone's feelings, but. i really do want your honest feedback because it can only help me improve the recipe.Thanks so much.
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