Celery root and parsnip team up in this soup with light yet luxurious results. The sweet earthiness of the parsnip grounds the subtle notes of the celeriac, adding depth without overpowering. The two root vegetables mingle and simmer in a simple concoction of chicken stock and thyme until they are soft enough to purée into a thick soup. You might find yourself tempted to call this soup creamy, but no cream is present – that is unless you feel like adding a splash for extra richness. (It’s the holiday season, after all!)
Celery Root and Parsnip Soup
Substitute a little cream for some of the chicken stock after puréeing for an even richer and more luxurious soup. Serves 4.
1 tablepoon olive oil
1 small celery root, about 1 pound, peeled, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 large parsnip, about 1/2 pound, peeled, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1 garlic clove
3-4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat olive oil in a pot or deep skillet. Add celery root, parsnip and garlic clove. Sauté until fragrant and vegetables begin to soften without coloring, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups chicken stock and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes. Carefully transfer in batches to bowl of a food processor, or use an immersion blender, and purée soup until smooth. Return to pot. Add additional 1 cup chicken stock or enough for desired consistency. (Optional: Replace 1/2 cup stock with heavy cream.) Stir in pepper and salt; heat through. Taste for seasoning. Serve hot.
Perfect! Thanks, Lynda.
Beautiful and I just love that photo!
My celeriac has died back, I wonder if the root is still edible at this time of year, I shall dig up a little and see.. great soup! thank you c
Your soup recipes are always my favorites…
That is a type of soup I never get tired of. Your recipe is wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
I’m looking for a simple way to prepare my celery root so that I can taste all of its goodness and this recipe sounds just perfect!
I don’t know that I’ve ever had celery root or parsnips. It sounds really delicious though. 🙂
Funnily enough I have literally just made a celeriac soup and a parsnip soup. But I had never thought about combining the two. This looks lovely!
This looks delicious and I love that bowl!
What a lovely way to use celery root. I almost never use it – I guess I just don’t quite know what to do with it. Bookmarking this to try soon.
Looks really awesome! I will add cream to make this soup more festive…You are right, it is Christmastime anyway! This is a must try! Thanks for sharing!
I could really use a bowl of this right now. It really looks wonderful. I love celery root, but don’t think I’ve ever used it in a starring role in a soup. I can see I’ve really been missing something!
I too love the combo of celeriac and parsnips…I’ve always thought that the puréed parsnips add the creaminess without adding cream. I oven roast the veggies for extra flavour and add an entire head of roasted garlic. I love the little spoon you propped with this shot, Lynda.
A perfect pairing. I made something similar lately including leeks. Such a great soup for the season.
These types of recipes adds great nutritional values to our meal plan. Many puree recipes would be helpful in preparing healthy meals. http://www.akgventures.com/blog/?p=1524
I’m finally getting around to posting this, but just wanted to say I really liked this soup. It’s simple and it tastes great, and helped me use up the extra parsnips and celery root I’d had sitting in the refrigerator. Thanks for sharing this recipe!