I love to watch the Food Network, especially shows like Iron Chef and Good Eats where I learn about different kinds of foods and food preparations.  One of the vegetables I have always wanted to try was celery root (also known as celeriac).  It is one of the ugliest vegetables I have ever seen but lots of chef’s use it and praise how good it tastes.  I few months ago I bought Iron Chef Cat Cora’s cookbook “Cooking from the Hip” and this week I tested out some of the recipes.  I loved this potato-celery root soup!  It was smooth and creamy and the flavor was amazing.  There is only a tablespoon of butter but the soup tastes so buttery and flavorful.  I highly recommend this recipe!  I made some changes to her recipe to make it healthier for my needs, but if you want the “full fat” you can check it out on Google Books or go buy the cookbook (it really is simple and the food is fantastic).  Also, we used an immersion blender instead of a food processor or blender.  I got this one at Walmart for around $20 and it can also be used as a mini food chopper/processor, too!  The book did not have the nutritional information so I looked up the values for each ingredient and added them together so the values are probably not exact but they should be close!

Potato-Celery Root Soup

(adapted from Potato-Celery Root Recipe by Cat Cora in her book “Cooking from the Hip”)

Makes 4 to 6 severing

• ¾ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled (about 3 potatoes)
• ¾ pound celery root, cleaned and peeled
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 medium celery ribs from close to heart, finely chopped
• 2 medium leeks, well cleaned and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 quart chicken stock (plus extra for thinning soup, if needed)
• 2 cups cold water
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup light cream
• ¼ cup finely chopped celery root tops (optional)

Quarter the potatoes and slice the celery root into chunks about ¼ inches thick.  Set aside.

Set a large pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and butter.  When the butter is melted, add the potatoes, celery root, celery, and leeks and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt.  Reduce the heat to medium and sauté until the vegetables have softened slightly, about 5 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and water, turn up the heat to high, and bring just to a boil.  Turn down the heat to low immediately, cover, and barely simmer until the potatoes are tender and break apart easily, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the cooked vegetables and half of the liquid to a blender or a food processor with a large bowl (HINT: we used our immersion blender right in the pot.  It worked beautifully and we didn’t have to dirty another bowl!) Puree until the soup is completely smooth.  Slowly add the remaining liquid and blend again on low speed for about 30 seconds to incorporate the liquid.  Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and the pepper and blend again.  (If you want the soup to be very smooth pas it through a sieve at this point.)  Pour the soup back into the pot and place over medium heat. Stir in the cream, heat until just simmering, and then turn the heat down to low.  Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed.  Sprinkle with celery root tops if using.

Nutritional Information per serving(based on 6 servings):

Calories: 238                       Fat: 10.23 grams                       Carbohydrates: 23.3 grams

Fiber: 4.2 grams                 Sugar: 7.43 grams                       Protein: 6.6 grams