Today I found a celery root in the fridge and remembered a delicious Celery Root Bisque recipe I made once from the November, 2005, issue of Bon Appetit.
However, the recipe calls for a russet potato, which I didn’t find in the fridge, or anywhere in the house. And with temps in the single digits, plus a very snowy day ahead of me, I opted not to worry about the potato.
Instead, I substituted a few parsnips for the potato.
Since my celery root (also known as celeriac) was just under a pound, I cut the recipe in half. I got this celery root, along with the parsnips, last fall from Visser Farms and have been storing them in the fridge. These root vegetables keep well for a long time. When you peel the celery root, it’s amazingly earthy, as if you just dug into the garden in the middle of summer.
Other adjustments, besides using parsnips for the potato, include:
- Better Than Bouillon Organic Chicken Base with water instead of chicken stock, which I didn’t have on hand (See snow storm, above.)
- Dried thyme for fresh (use half the amount)
- Omitting the cream due to Bill’s cow dairy allergy and adding a little rice milk
All you do is saute the celery for a few minutes, then add the shallots and saute a few minutes longer.
Add the celery root, parsnips, stock and thyme.
Simmer 40 minutes. Puree the soup in batches. Add some rice milk for smoothness. Season with salt and pepper.
This soup is a nice accompaniment to Lamb Chops with Cumin, Cardamom, and Lime, braised Lacinato kale, and White Beans and Onion Confit.
