Celery Root Soup With Caramelized Apples Recipes

CELERY ROOT SOUP WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the leeks and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes.
• Add the celery root, stir to coat, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the celery root is very tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Purée the soup with an immersion blender or, working in batches, purée it in a blender and return the soup to the pot. (You can make the soup up until this point and stash it in the fridge for up to several hours or in the freezer for up to several weeks.) Place the soup over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the half-and-half, and bring to a gentle boil. If a thinner soup is desired, add more half-and-half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• While the soup is cooling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it foams. Add the apples and sauté for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each portion with some of the caramelized apples.

CELERY-ROOT SOUP WITH BACON AND GREEN APPLE

Steps:

• Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating them, then lift out onto paper towels and pat dry.
• Cook bacon in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.
• Pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot, then add oil and cook leeks over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add celery root and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add water and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until celery root is very tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
• While soup simmers, thinly slice apple lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer, working around core, then cut slices into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife. Gently toss with celery and celery leaves.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a bowl. Return soup to cleaned pot. (If soup is too thick, thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water.) Stir in salt, pepper, and half-and-half and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Season with salt, then divide among 4 bowls and top with apple-celery mixture and coarsely crumbled bacon.