Creamy Celeriac Soup

Long time no see.  After some much needed sunshine  I seem to be on the upswing.  Gotta love vitamin D.  For me it seems to be my wonder drug.

Carrying on a tradition I started last year, I picked up one vegetable that I have never eaten while shopping at Whole Foods this week.  I seem to gravitate towards the weird looking ones.  I've been meaning to try celeriac (celery root) for a long time now.  I keep hearing about it on the Paleo blogs as it can be eaten pureed as a substitute for mashed potatoes.

Source

I fell in love with it the moment I cut it open.  It smells like the garden just after a spring rain.  The inside is riddled with holes near the roots but the flesh becomes solid as it approaches the top.

This recipe is easy and the amounts are rough.  If you boil it too long (as I did) and it gets too thick just add some more liquid such as stock, milk and/or cream to thin it out to the desired consistency.

Ingredients
serves 2

1 small celeriac
2c Basic Chicken Stock
large pat pastured butter (Kerrigold is the most readily available)
1/4-1/2c heavy cream (pastured or raw)
Celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper

1. Use a paring knife to peel the celeriac.  Dice into 1/2" cubes.  Rinse with water and drain.
2. Put in pot and cover with chicken stock.  Bring to boil.  Turn down and simmer for at least 20mins until the cubes are soft.
3. Remove from heat.  Either add to blender in batches being very careful with the hot liquid or use an immersion blender and puree it right in the pan.
4. Add pat of butter, pinch salt, pepper and cream.  Stir to mix thoroughly.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Add more cream and/or milk to thin to desired consistency. Serve.

I've seen nutmeg and/or cinnamon used in some recipes.  I left it out here but I might use some nutmeg in the future when I'm feeling adventurous.

BTW, it tastes like celery and parsley combined.  Very good and a big hit with everyone in my family.