
Celeriac & Leek Soup with Rye Crumb & Chive Oil
PREP TIME: 15mins
COOKING TIME: 30mins
Creamy celeriac, roasted garlic and fresh horseradish is such a classic and delicious flavour combination. The soup is topped with a crunchy rye crumb and a fragrant chive oil which makes this soup a knock out!
Even though I am a classically trained chef, I am foremost a home cook, it is the food I most like to eat and cook often.
Every now and then I do like to push the boat out a bit by creating a restaurant ‘worthy’dish, this creamy celeriac soup with all its trimmings could sit perfectly pretty on a restaurant menu, a dinner party or just as it is, at your kitchen dining table.
There is something very sophisticated about celeriac, intriguing even, with its knobbly bits and odd looking shape it looks complicated to prepare. Rest assure, just like any other root it is easy to prepare (peel and cut), easy to cook (roast, mash or puree) and its creamy texture makes it delicious to eat.
This makes a thick soup, feel free to add a bit more liquid (start with one cup) if you prefer a thinner soup.
The soup is freezer friendly.
Getting Ahead: All the elements of the soup can be made ahead, including the roasted garlic. Roasting the garlic  is a quick and effortless way of bring flavour into the soup but you can use 4 cloves of garlic, minced, if you are pressed for time.  The chive oil will keep in the fridge for a few days and leftover crumb can be kept in an airtight container for 3 days.
Seasonal Swaps:Â If you can’t find enough celeriac, you can add some potatoes, the combination of 700g celeriac and 300g potato works well. You can use any type of milk for the soup, cow or plant works well. You can use any bread to make the breadcrumbs.
Serving Suggestion:
Perfect on its own.
Serves 6
What you'll need:
A food processor or hand blender for the soup. A powerful food processor for the chive oil.
Ingredients:
- 1 garlic bulb, halved lengthways
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large bunch leeks, (2 cups), leafy tops removed, white parts finely sliced
- 2 teaspoons fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1kg celeriac, peeled and cut into blocks
- 600ml vegetable stock
- 600ml milk of choice (I used fresh homemade almond milk)
- 1 tablespoon fresh horseradish, grated
- salt & pepper
Rye Crumb
- 3 thickly cut rye bread slices (100g), pulsed to a rough crumb
- pinch salt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- tiny pinch chilli flakes (opt)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Chive Oil
- 25g chives, finely chopped
- 125ml olive oil
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 190c
- Wrap the one half of the garlic in baking paper and roast for 40 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Pop the garlic out of the pockets and mash lightly with a fork. Keep aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat, add the leeks, 1 teaspoon of salt and the white pepper, cook, covered for 15 minutes until the leeks are soft, stirring occasionally.
- While the leeks are cooking, place the chives and the oil in a high speed blender and blend until bright green, keep aside.
- Mix all the rye crumb ingredients together and place on a baking tray, roast until crunchy and golden, set aside.
- Once the leeks are soft, add the roasted garlic, celeriac, remaining teaspoon of salt, celeriac, stock and milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, with the lid ajar, for 20 minutes or until the celeriac is super soft.
- Add the horseradish and blitz the soup until smooth. Season to taste. You can add a little more stock if the soup feels too thick.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, add a few drops or swirls of the chive oil and top with rye crumbs. Enjoy.