December 5, 2014
(last updated December 2, 2024) 
I have a fairly robust obsession with winter squash. Butternut, kabocha, acorn, delicata: you name it, I dig it. At this time of year, it’s hard for me not to infuse anything and everything with these beta-carotene packed, sweet, hearty, and delicious root vegetables (or with sweet potatoes, which are similar). Not surprisingly, most of the soup recipes I turn to right now feature orange-fleshed vegetable friends: my roasted kabocha and pear bisque, for example, or my African yam and peanut stew with kale.
But a person can’t live on winter squash and sweet potatoes alone, and lately I’ve been trying to think outside of the soup box, featuring other root vegetables and bases. This cream of celeriac and fennel soup emerged from that initiative, and it’s a new favorite.
This recipe rests on the interesting contrast of peppery, tangy celery root (which, if you’re not familiar, tastes like celery, though the texture is very different), and sweet fennel. The texture is creamy and smooth. I made this soup for friends recently, garnishing it with cashew cream and a drizzle of chive oil. They absolutely loved it, which was a relief: at first, I wondered if celeriac was too distinctive a flavor to use as the soup base. There was no reason to fear: the soup is a crowd pleaser, worth making for dinner parties or simply for warming yourself up on a cold night.
If you can’t get your hands on a knobby head or two of celery root, then try using rutabaga here instead. The taste will be a little less vibrant, but still really flavorful.
Cream of Celeriac and Fennel Soup
Author –Yields: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
Chive oil (optional)
- 1/2 cup snipped chives
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Pinch salt
Celeriac fennel soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large celeriac bulbs (celery roots), knobby outside cut off and then cubed (about 4 cups cubed celeriac after preparation)
- 2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth (950ml)
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the chive oil (if making)
- Place the chives and oil into a food processor or blender, and blend until the mixture is even, but still has some texture. Swirl the oil into soups (as instructed below) or drizzle it onto salads, roasted vegetables, or toast.
Prepare the soup
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it's clear and soft (about 5-7 minutes). Add the garlic, reduce heat slightly, and sauté it for another minute or two.
- Add the celery root and fennel to the pot and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the vegetables are becoming soft and the fennel is translucent. Add the vegetable broth and salt, and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower it to a simmer, and simmer the vegetables for 15-20 minutes, or until they're very tender. Transfer the soup to a blender in batches to puree it, or use an immersion blender to purée it till smooth. Return the soup to the pot and heat it through. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed; the salt required will depend on how salty your vegetable broth was and on personal preference.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle each with a tablespoon chive oil, if desired, and serve.
Hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful Friday, friends — I’ll be back tomorrow to share a special raw holiday cookie recipe!
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Side Dishes,
Soups
Method: One Pot, Stovetop
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Method: One Pot, Stovetop
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Leave a Comment
This was so good! Iโm new to cooking with celery root and fennel. Wow. New favorite. I didnโt make the chive sause, so next time I will add that!
Cream of Celeriac Fennel Soup
Someone made this soup for our annual Stone Soup fall event. It was delicious and I will keep this recipe in my fall soups section. This event, presented every year in the fall, offers homemade soups, salads, breads and desserts and is a fund raiser for our local Land Trust and a wonderful community get together here in Hinesburg Vermont.
Johanna
Ok- I am getting back on the celeriac train and giving this a try. Looks amazing! Thank you, Gena =)
what a beautiful bowl of soup!
I’ve been trying to think outside the box, too! I think I’ve reached a point where I am beginning to get tired of sweet squash… I love, love, love all those squash varieties, but sometimes my palate needs a little mixing up. This soup is a great solution to that problem! Can’t wait for your raw cookie recipe tomorrow ๐
Hi Gena! The soup looks delicious as always ๐ I’m excited to see you using celery root. I absolutely love it and it’s a staple in my home cuisine (Czech). I even like to roast it in the oven with potatoes for a different twist on oven baked fries :). However, people from the US would typically have no idea what the heck I was talking about, when I was trying to get my hands on some celery root there. I hope it becomes more popular (and accessible), it’s such a versatile vegetable. Have a great weekend,
Lucie
Oh my gosh, this looks divine– simple and totally doable, yet farm- to- table elegant ๐ And chive infused oil? Say what?! Yum.
Hi gena yum, sounds great another great recipe!
Also really good is the soup combo celeriac parsnip apple onion garlic and topped with a parsley infused olive oil. It’s lovely !