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Writer's picturebrkt-ברקט

Cold Celeriac and Potato Soup

Cold potato soup (vichyssoise) in its classic form comes close to perfection. It is velvety smooth and rich and the perfect start to a celebratory meal, especially a summer wedding. But classic recipes often include ingredients that I am reluctant to use such as lardons in pea soup and chicken stock in almost everything.


I stopped using chicken stock as a base for soup a few years ago. And I can't say I miss it. The commercial products have too much sodium (even the ones that say "reduced") and to make stock just to have it to add to a soup seems to be a waste of a perfectly good chicken soup.


So I usually start a soup with a whole lot of green vegetables, spices and some herbs to create the backbone for the dish. Usually this involves cloves and nutmeg since they "sing" on the tongue. But yesterday I wanted to create a very clean and simple soup from potatoes and celeriac (celery root). I think it was a success. I hope you make it!




BT's Cold Celeriac and Potato Soup


Ingredients:

1 large celeriac (celery root)

2 very large low-starch potatoes (Yukon Gold or Red Bliss)

1 large leek

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

2 cloves fresh garlic

1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 jalapeño (seeded and deveined)

2 tablespoons Pastis (any anisette)

5-6 sprigs fresh thyme

5-6 sprigs fresh dill

1/2 teaspoon lovage (optional)

1 cup (140 ml) whole milk

1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream

5 cups (1/25 l) filtered water

1 whole lemon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

ground black pepper


Directions:

Add oil and mustard seeds to heavy gauge cocotte

Turn flame on to medium

Wash leaks thoroughly and rough chop

When mustard seeds begin to pop add leeks

Sauté for 1 minute

Dice garlic and jalapeño and add to pot

Sauté for 2 minutes more

Add salt and several grinds of black pepper

Add pastis and reduce flame to medium low

Boil water and add to pot

Return flame to medium

Peel celeriac and potatoes and rough chop

Add to pot

Turn flame to high

When broth begins to boil add fresh thyme

Cover and reduce the flame to low

Simmer 20 minutes

Remove pot from flame and let cool 5 minutes

Purée soup with a wand blender

Let cool 15 minutes

Add milk and cream and stir

Zest and juice lemon

Add juice to soup

Taste for salt

Serve soup with finely diced dill and lemon zest and a grind of pepper


Enjoy! !בתיאבון


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