Vegan Celeriac & Truffle Soup
Serves 6–8
Celeriac — admittedly not one of the most beautiful vegetables on the planet, and come to think of it, probably not the coolest one either. If veggies had a popularity contest, it would definitely be in the last-picked-for-sports category. However, it does make a darn right delicious winter soup that is super high in fibre and many micronutrients! And by adding toasted hazelnuts and a drizzle of truffle oil, it ups its fancy-ness factor no end! Transformed from a grissly looking root into a smooth, comforting starter, this is sure to be a winner over the festive season.
INGREDIENTS
· 2 White Onions
· 2 Shallots
· 1 tbsp Olive Oil or Butter if not vegan
· Small Bunch of Thyme
· Small Bunch of Sage
· 4 Large Garlic Cloves
· 1 Celeriac (approximately 1kg)
· 1.5L Vegetable Stock
· 100ml Hazelnut Milk (or any milk of your choice)
· 60g Blanched Hazelnuts
· 1 Tbsp Truffle Oil plus extra for drizzling at the end
· Salt & Fresh ground pepper to taste
METHOD
· Peel and chop the celeriac.
· Dice the onions and shallots.
· Mince the garlic.
· Finely chop the sage leaves and discard the stalks.
· Tie the thyme sprigs together with some string.
· In a large saucepan, heat the oil/butter over a low heat.
· Add the onions and shallots and thyme sprigs to the pan.
· Cook until softened but not brown.
· Add the chopped sage and minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.
· Add the celeriac and give everything a good stir.
· Pour in the stock and bring to the boil.
· Season with a little salt and pepper.
· Then turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes until the celeriac is completely soft.
· While the soup is simmering away, dry fry (or roast) the hazelnuts until browning, making sure they don’t burn by stirring pretty regularly.
· Once the nuts begin to brown, set aside to cool slightly and then chop them roughly.
· Once the soup is done, discard the thyme sprigs and turn off the heat.
· Add the milk and blitz in a food processor until completely smooth.
· Add a little truffle oil at a time, mixing well. Different oils have different strengths — some very strong and some more subtle, so be sure to taste first and add a little more if needed.
· Serve the soup topped with the chopped hazelnuts, some freshly gorund black pepper and an extra drizzle of truffle oil.
Nutritional Information
Calories — 195
Fat — 9g
Carbohydrate — 15g
Protein — 5g
Fibre — 9g (36%)
Vitamin A — 16%
Vitamin C — 13%
Calcium — 8%
Iron — 6%