After all of the hours of planning and preparation, the holiday meal seems to go so quickly. Slow down the meal with a soup course that is flavorful and festive. Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith apples and bacon will surprise your family and guests and have them slowing down to savor every spoonful.
Don’t be frightened by the ugly, earthy celeriac or celery root. Its delicate celery flavor is just below the rough, brown skin. It is also excellent in a Waldorf salad instead of celery. This is an adaptation of another celery root soup.
Gluten/Dairy-Free Celery Root Soup
1 small onion chopped
3 slices bacon, diced
2 cups peeled and chopped celery root, 1/2 inch cubes
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled cored, chopped, 1/2 inch cubes(reserve a small piece to chop finely and garnish the soup)
3 cups chicken broth
1 inner rib celery diced
Salt to taste-I used Pacific Natural Foods Broth and the bacon gave it almost enough salt for my taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup of full fat coconut milk(shake the can to mix well) or use real half and half if you can tolerate dairy
Cook bacon in a heavy, large pot until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel.
Saute onion in remaining bacon fat for 2-3 minutes, then add celery root, celery and apple. Cook and stir another 2-3 minutes.
Add chicken broth and bring to boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender about 20-30 minutes.
Puree the soup in small batches in a blender or use an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper and half and half or non-dairy substitute.* Cook over low heat until warm. Divide into 6 small cups, garnish with bacon and apple and pomegranate arils if you are feeling festive.
Go Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming has several other half and half options in her book and on her site. I made the soup both dairy-free and with half and half and surprised myself by liking the coconut milk version best. For non-holiday meals, Alisa suggests just adding a cubed potato to the other veggies to get some creaminess without the holiday calories.
I decided to garnish with pomegranate arils for the color and the tangy, tart contrast to the bacon and creamy soup. I also was charmed by a new blogging friend’s video of her daughter explaining how to dissect a pomegranate.
This post is part of Share Our Holiday Table a progressive fundraising dinner designed to raise awareness of child hunger in the United States. To help us raise funds for Share Our Strength, please click here and donate generously. As we stop and savor our holiday meals and reflect on the bounty in our own lives, let’s not forget the children who face hunger everyday in our very own country and our communities. For a list of over 50 bloggers participating in Share Our Holiday Table visit here. Lauren from Celiac Teen has a gluten-free soup as her contribution. Gluten-free soups are also featured on And Love It Too and Gluten Free Life with Jen.
This post is also part of the Gluten-Free Homemaker’s Gluten-Free Wednesdays.
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