Chard Stalk Celeriac And Leek Soup Recipes

CELERIAC, POTATO, LEEK AND APPLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat and add the onion, leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the celeriac and a generous pinch of salt, cover partially and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often, until the celeriac has begun to soften. Add the potatoes, apples, water or stock, salt to taste, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour, or until the vegetables are very tender and the soup is fragrant. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.
• Blend the soup in batches in a blender (cover the top with a towel and hold it down to avoid hot splashes), or through a food mill fitted with the fine blade. The soup should be very smooth. Strain if desired. Return to the pot. Stir and taste. Adjust salt, add freshly ground pepper, and heat through. Serve in small bowls or espresso cups, garnished with thin slivers of celery leaves.

SWISS CHARD AND RICE SOUP

Steps:

• Trim the bottoms of the chard stems. If the stems are thin and fibrous, separate the leaves and discard the stems. If they are wide, separate the leaves and cut the stems into 1/4-inch dice. Set aside with the celery and onion. Wash the leaves in 2 changes of water and chop medium-fine.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot and add the onion, celery and chard stalks. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, another 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the stock or water, bouquet garni and rice. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir the chard into the soup, cover and simmer another 10 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust the salt. Serve with fresh lemon wedges for people to squeeze into their servings if desired and Parmesan for sprinkling.

WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP WITH TURNIPS, CARROTS, POTATOES AND LEEKS

Steps:

• In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, combine the leeks, garlic, carrots, celery, turnips, potatoes, bouquet garni, 1 1/2 quarts water, 2 to 3 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.
• Pass the soup through the coarse blade of a food mill (or purée using a blender or an immersion blender).
• Return soup to the pot and whisk in 1/4 cup crème fraîche (or more, to taste). Heat through, taste and adjust seasonings (be generous with salt and pepper). To serve, garnish each bowl with a spoonful of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of parsley or tarragon.

CELERIAC RIBBONS TOSSED WITH CHARD, GARLIC & PUMPKIN SEEDS

Steps:

• Using a good vegetable peeler, cut long, wide strips (about the width of pappardelle) around the circumference of the celeriac, into a bowl of water and lemon juice, until you have lots of ribbons. Allow for more than you would if using pasta.
• Dry-fry the pumpkin seeds in a pan until they've puffed and popped. Set aside.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the celeriac for 1 min, drain and reserve the water. In a non-stick frying pan, heat the oil and butter until the butter has melted and foamed up. Add the thyme, garlic and chilli.
• Cook the garlic mixture for 5 mins until fragrant and almost golden, add the chard stalks and stir, cooking for a couple more mins. Add the pumpkin seeds and the chard leaves, season and squeeze in some lemon juice. Turn up the heat and stir in half the grated cheese. Add the celeriac and a slosh of the cooking water and toss, shaking the pan until the sauce looks glossy. Divide between plates, top with more cheese and serve.

SILKY CELERIAC SOUP WITH SMOKED HADDOCK

Steps:

• Heat the 50g of butter in a large saucepan until foaming, then lower the heat a little. Sweat the onion and leek with the clove of garlic, a few sprigs of thyme and 2 bay leaves. Add the celeriac and the 2 potatoes and cook for 10 mins more, stirring frequently so the vegetables don't stick to the pan. Pour over the litre of stock to just about cover, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, in a deep frying pan bring the 500ml of milk and remaining bay leaves to the boil. Lower to a very gentle simmer, slide in the 2 haddock fillets and cover with baking paper. Cook for 3-4 mins until the fish flakes easily. Remove the fish from the milk and flake into a bowl; cover to keep warm.
• When the celeriac is tender, pour in the 500ml of cream, bring back to the boil and remove from the heat. Remove the garlic and herb stalks, then blitz until silky smooth using a stick blender. If you want to freeze the soup, stir through the fish at this point. Serve scattered with the flaked haddock and thyme leaves.

CELERY-LEEK SOUP WITH POTATO AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the 1/4 cup oil over medium. Add the leeks and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meltingly tender, about 7 minutes.
• Add the celery, potato, bay leaves and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze, then cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost dry, about 3 minutes.
• Add the stock and bring to boil over high. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until all the vegetables are fully tender and soft, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in 1 cup parsley leaves.
• Working in two or three batches, transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. (It's almost always beneficial to let the soup blend for another minute or two past what seems necessary to emulsify as much as possible.) Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to bowls. Drizzle with olive oil; garnish with reserved celery leaves and parsley, and sprinkle with pepper. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or a drizzle of heavy cream.

CHEESY CELERIAC, LEEK & ROSEMARY GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the leeks, rosemary and bay leaf, then cover and cook very gently over a medium-low heat for 15-20 mins until the leeks are soft. Pour over the milk and almost all of the cream, then season and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little, then scoop out the bay leaf.
• Pour a little of the leek mixture into an ovenproof gratin dish. Arrange a layer of celeriac in the dish, then season. Spoon over some more of the leek mixture and scatter with a little cheese. Repeat the process, alternating between layers of the leek mixture, cheese and celeriac slices, then finish with a drizzle of cream and the last of the cheese. Can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake the gratin for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until the top is golden and the celeriac is tender when poked with a knife. If the gratin is browning a little too much, cover the dish in foil. Can be chilled, then reheated in a microwave or oven on a low heat with a drizzle more cream.