Celeriac Leek Soup with Thyme & Gruyere Toasts

I was at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market this past weekend and came across the most beautiful celery root (also known as celeriac) and immediately knew I wanted to make a cozy, comforting soup with it.

It brought me back to our first exam in culinary school where one of the dishes we had to cook was a puree of vegetable soup. It was sort of like a Food Network competition where we could grab any of the ingredients available in the kitchen that day to make the best possible soup. I made mine with leeks and celery root and ended up almost getting a perfect score on the exam (although I was so nervous/shake-y that I ended up with multiple little cuts on my hand from nicking myself with my knife LOL).

This recipe is an ode to that exam day - it uses a simple, fool-proof technique and the best part is that you can sub in any other root vegetable you like. If butternut squash, carrots or parsnips are more your thing, feel free to sub in, just ensure you use the same 2 lb quantity.

I absolutely love these thyme & gruyere toasts served with the soup and I always finish itwith a drizzle of a really good quality extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

For the celeriac soup:

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 medium onion, cut into a large dice

• 1 leek, thinly sliced and thoroughly rinsed to remove any grit

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 lbs celery root, peeled and cut into a large dice

• 2 qts chicken stock

• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

For the thyme & gruyere toasts:

• Sourdough baguette, sliced into 12 pieces, 1/2 inch thick on a diagonal

• Olive oil

• Maldon salt

• 6 oz. gruyere cheese, thinly sliced

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

METHOD

1. Make the soup

   1. Melt the butter in a deep saucepan or dutch oven and add the sliced onions with a big pinch of salt.

   2. Cook the onions and leeks over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, making sure not to brown them.

   3. Turn the burner down to low and add the celery root. Cook for 5-10 minutes, covered. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about another minute.

   4. Add the stock and cook over medium-low heat, covered, until the vegetables are falling apart. This will take about 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your celery root pieces.

   5. Turn the heat off. Remove about a cup of the liquid from your cooked soup base and set aside. Puree the vegetables and remaining liquid until smooth. Add additional reserved liquid until you reach your desired consistency.

   6. Transfer back into the pot and stir in heavy cream (if using). Cover to keep warm.

2. Make the thyme & gruyere toasts:

   1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

   2. Lay out the pieces of sliced bread on a sheet tray.

   3. Drizzle each piece of bread with a little olive oil and a pinch of Maldon salt and transfer to the oven to cook for 7-8 minutes, or until they’ve begun to crisp up and taken on a light golden brown color. Remove from the oven and turn the oven to the broil setting.

   4. Top each piece of bread with the thinly sliced gruyere cheese, followed by a dusting of freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional) and half of a sprig of the fresh thyme.

   5. Transfer to the broiler to cook just until the cheese is melted and bubbly, 1-2 minutes. Make sure to watch closely - it happens fast!

   6. Serve toasts atop the warm soup. I also like to drizzle my soup with some good quality extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon salt to finish. Enjoy!