Creamy Cauliflower & Celery Root Soup
Initially, I had developed this recipe in the spring. Just a few weeks after we had moved into our current home. Moss was thick and bright on every brick and tree outside the house, birds were swarming my bird feeder in droves, and the weather faded in out of rain clouds and sunshine.
At the time, I was hoping Inherited Salt would be on the verge of launching any day - but the lack of internet and my inability to be productive in a coffee shop made me reluctantly press pause.
Spring has passed, summer followed, and Inherited Salt has finally come to life in the fall of 2019. Which also happens to be the starting line for soup season, so all is well.
Soup is a meal I never get sick of. Rain or shine, hot or cold weather, creamy or brothy - I want it all, and I want it allllllll the time. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner - gimme soup!
Cauliflower soup is something my grandmother introduced to me. It combined two of my favorite things: cauliflower and soup. Needless to say, it was love at first bite. I’m definitely going to share her recipe on here eventually, because it’s brimming over in deliciousness and nostalgia, but I have played with different types of cauliflower soup since I was first introduced to it many years ago.
This version came to life after I met my true love, celery root, last year. The consistency of celery root is somewhere between turnips and potatoes and it just faintly tastes of celery - a flavor I happen to really enjoy. If you’re not a celery fan, that’s totally fine, it’s a love/hate kinda veggie, you can still easily sub out the celery root for turnips!
I think the celery flavor is so subtle in this recipe that I encourage you to give it a go if you’re feeling unsure or skeptical about celery root. BUT, like I said, turnips will work just as well if you’re not feeling the celery love or if you don’t find any at your local grocery store or farmer’s market.
There is some cream in this recipe, but most of the creamy consistency comes from the pureed veggies! It’s thick and comforting but doesn’t feel heavy on your body like that old bugaboo, broccoli and cheddar (which sends me straight to the restroom after consumption, if ya know what I mean).
Other quick subs if you need them:
To make it dairy free, just swap out the cream for full fat coconut milk.
To make it vegan, swap in coconut milk AND use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Creamy Cauliflower Celery Root Soup
Makes enough for 4 (with room for seconds or leftovers)
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 to 8 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon chicken base (optional)
1 head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped
1 large (or 2 small) celery roots, trimmed, peeled, and roughly chopped
Kosher salt to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom of the pot. Once oil is heated, add onion and garlic to pot. Cook for about 3 minutes or until onion becomes soft and translucent.
Add in broth, chicken base, cauliflower, and celery root. There should be enough broth that the cauliflower and celery root are fully submerged, if they’re not, add as much as you need until it’s fully covered (can also use water if you run out of broth).
Quick note on chicken base: the Better than Bouillon chicken base was one of my grandma’s secrets for getting a little extra flavor into soup because some broths can be especially bland. It’s definitely optional, but an option I almost always use when lots of broth is involved! Be sure to taste as you go, because there’s a bunch of sodium in the base, meaning you won’t need to salt as heavily as you typically would with this kind of soup.
Add in spices (salt through coriander), stir and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Using an immersion blender, puree everything in the stockpot until it’s smooth and creamy.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, no problem! Just remove soup from heat for about 15 minutes, then transfer batches to a standing blender. Once it’s all pureed, pour it back into the stock pot.
All that’s left to do is: stir in heavy cream, remove from heat, do a quick taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary, then serve!
Optional garnish (as seen in pictures): a tiny splash of heavy cream and a dash of Hawaij (I like NY Shuk’s) or curry powder.
