Celeriac & Mushroom Soup

Feeling a little more wintery with this recipe; but that's spring for you - up and down it goes like a yo-yo. Also, this one wins popularity more through its delicious personality than through good looks, it has to be admitted. 

 

There's a certain amount of peeling, grating, and chopping but once that's done this is a quick and simple soup.

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour - 30 minutes prep time

 

1 medium (450 grams; 1 pound) celeriac

1 medium carrot

450 grams (1 pound) button mushrooms

2 large shallots

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed thyme OR savory

a good grating of nutmeg

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons barley or other flour

3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon sherry

Wash, peel, and grate the celeriac. Peel and grate the carrot. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Peel and mince the shallots and garlic. 

Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the celeriac, carrot, mushrooms, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until well cooked down and softened. Add the seasonings, the garlic, and the flour, and cook for another few minutes. 

Add the chicken stock and mix it in well. Simmer very gently for another 20 to 30 minutes. 

Allow the soup to cool enough to work with, then run it through a food processor or blender until it has a relatively smooth texture. Return it to the pot, and add the cream and sherry. Heat through, but do not allow it to simmer. Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Clapshot Roasties.