Celeriac is the bulb form of celery. It's not as pungent as the celery we are used to seeing in stock at our regular grocery stores. I've heard it described as a cross between celery and turnips. Unfortunately, celeriac is not always easy to find. We have two Whole Foods stores in town, and I always find it at one of them. The best way I have found to prep celeriac is to cut off the top and the bottom and then cut it in half. With a knife, remove the outer, brown layer. This is an easy soup to make. If you don't feel like making your own homemade broth, try Better Than Bouillon. I discovered it last year and it makes a really nice substitute to homemade. Better Than Bouillon can also be found at Whole Foods.
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon ghee butter
1 leek, white part and a little of the green, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celeriac, peeled and chopped
2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
4 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon , vegetable base, diluted in 4 cups of boiling water
salt and pepper
2 links of Jalapeño cheddar sausage, sliced (or any sausage you like)
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50- 55 minutes
Method:
In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the ghee butter over medium heat.
Add the leeks and cook for a few minutes (until soft).
Add the garlic and let the mixture cook down for a few minutes.
Add the carrots.
Add the celeriac and the bouillon. Cover, and cook on low heat for 45 minutes or until the celeriac is tender. Add the apples, and cook for 10 more minutes.
While soup is cooking, cook the sausage in a saucepan. Once sausage is cooked through (about 7-10 minutes) remove it from the saucepan, and let it drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
With an immersion hand blender or a food processor, puree the soup. Once the soup is thoroughly blended, place it back in the pan to heat through.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into soup bowls, top with the sausage, and a little sour cream.
