CAULIFLOWER CELERY ROOT SOUP

Ready to sample!

With having both two heads of cauliflower and two celery roots in the fridge, I got inspired to make a creamy soup featuring both of these vegetables for lunch today. Celery root is a bulb vegetable, about the size of an orange or grapefruit, and has a celery like flavour. You can eat it raw or cooked. It needs to be peeled before eaten and is a versatile vegetable. I like to grate it and use it salads, chop it and cook it with cauliflower and mash them together and have it instead of mashed potatoes, or cube it and roast it along with carrots, parsnips and or sweet potato. 

I made this soup in my big soup pot and cooked it on the stove but it can also be made in an electric pressure cooker. This soup is great to make year round but I likely would prefer it during the fall, winter or spring. I used frozen chopped dill as some of the seasoning. Every summer I cut dill from the garden, wash and chop it and then put it into freezer bags to use over the course of the year. Instead of just using shredded cheese or nutritional yeast to provide the cheesy flavour, I added a bit of both. I added one cup of shredded cheese and one quarter cup of nutritional yeast. 

The soup turned out delicious and both of us enjoyed it as part of lunch. 

Vegetables being added to the soup pot.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 medium size head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces

1 medium celery root, peeled and chopped 
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning or dill or thyme
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of milk - dairy, almond, coconut or soy
1/2 cup nutritional yeast OR 2 cups of shredded cheddar


DIRECTIONS:

Into a large soup pot add all of the ingredients except the milk and cheese. Cover the pot with a lid and heat on high until it boils. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for at least 45 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. You can leave some small chunks of vegetables if you want. Add the milk and cheese, stir and season with more salt and pepper if required. Serves 6.