Cauliflower and Celery Root Soup

Another cold and rainy day, another day for soup.

After having a steady stream of visitors in from California (who would of thought that January weather in NYC could be LA), I was ready to get back in the kitchen. Restaurant food is great – that is why you go there – but sometimes nothing can beat food from home.

There is something to be said for control in the kitchen, it is nice to know that the only things going in the food are exactly what you want.

For instance this cauliflower and celery root soup – restaurants would often add cream, when there is absolutely no need to.  A simple puree of the vegetables and stock gives it more silkiness than you can imagine.

It is the perfect blanket on a grey and rainy day, but virtuous enough to not derail any still standing resolutions.

I made this version with chicken stock, but it can easily be vegetarian with vegetable stock or even water.  In fact, I went half water, half stock as I wanted the vegetables to shine through, and my last batch of stock was pretty meaty.

The cauliflower is a bit more predominant here, with the celery root adding depth to the background.  Celery root (or celeriac) if you haven’t had it before is one of the uglier things in the produce section.  It is not actually the root of the celery, but more of a cousin, imparting the celery flavor in a root version. And of an interesting note, unlike other root vegetables, celery roots has a relatively low starch content (5-6% … thank you wikipedia).

This soup could stand on it’s own without much of a garnish, but I always want something crunchy with soup.  I  went for a spiced crouton, but the last time I had a soup like this out, they topped it with bacon and gruyere.  Again – a bit over the top for my home version, but it was of course great.  I added a bit of parsley too, to brighten it all up (both in taste and color – too much white makes even me crazy).

For an easy dinner, just pair the soup with a simple salad or kale chips for an additional crunch.

What do you like to make when you are craving homey food?

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Celery Root and Cauliflower Soup

1½ T. butter

1½ T. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

pinch of curry powder (a good size pinch)

pinch of ground cumin

1 celery root, peeled and chopped into large pieces, about 2 inches (mine was just shy of 1 lb.)

1 small-medium head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into large florets

4 c. water, chicken stock, vegetable stock or combination

juice of ½ a lemon

salt

parsley (for garnish)

spiced croutons (for garnish and crunch) – recipe below

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Heat a large heavy-bottomed stock pot of medium heat.  Add butter and oil; once butter has melted, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.  Add the curry powder, ground cumin and salt and cook for another minute.

Add the celery root and stir to coat it in the oil and cook for an additional minute.  Add the stock (or stock/water combo) and bring to a boil.  Once the broth has come to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.  The celery root should start to soften, but still be quite firm.  Add the cauliflower and stir to combine all ingredients.  Cover and continue to simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes or until both celery root and cauliflower are tender and come apart when pushed against the side of a pot with a wooden spoon.

Remove the soup from the heat and puree the soup in batches in a blender.  Once it is all pureed, return the soup to the pot and season to taste.  Add the lemon juice (for a touch of brightness) and stir to combine.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with croutons and parsley and serve immediately.

Makes about 7 cups of soup (6-8 first course servings; 4 main course servings).

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Spiced Croutons

5-6 inch piece of sourdough baguette (or other bread you want to use for croutons), cut or torn into small pieces (less than 1″ each)

½ T. dijon mustard

½ t. curry powder

½ t. ground cumin

¼ t. chili flakes

2 T. olive oil

kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Combine mustard, curry powder, cumin and chili flakes in a small bowl; slowly drizzle in oil, whisking to combine.  Season to taste with salt.

Mix together bread pieces and mustard mix so all pieces are thoroughly coated.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until croutons are golden and crusty, flipping once during the baking time.

Note:  The croutons can be made with any spice mixture you prefer, or even plain mustard.  I used the curry and cumin to bring out these flavors that were added (ever so slightly) to the soup.