Celery Soup with Horseradish Cream and Ham Chips
I love it when a plan comes together! It makes me smile. It makes me happy. That is how I felt when I was putting together the menu for our gourmet group and Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen selected root vegetables as the theme for this month's Saturday Soup Swappers. I was doing a happy dance as everything just came together...and there was a table of food critics to sample the dish!
The Saturday Soup Swappers is a group of bloggers brought together by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm. The group gets together on the third Saturday of the month to share soups or stews based on a theme selected by one of the members. If you are interested in joining in on the fun, follow the link above for more information. All are welcome!
This soup was so smooth and had a lovely flavor. The horseradish cream and ham chips gave it an extra flavor boost. I loved the little bit of heat from the cream and the crunch from the chips. The word around the table was delicious!
Yield: 6 servings
Horseradish Cream
1 1/2 cups crème fraîche
Generous pinch of sea or Kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
Ham Chips
6 slices prosciutto
Soup
4 large leeks, cleaned
6 Tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or Kosher salt, plus additional if needed
1 1/2 pounds celery root
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
Minced fresh chives, for garnish
Prepare the horseradish cream. Whip the crème fraîche in a metal bowl with a whisk until it thickens. It should hold it's shape when you remove the whisk from the bowl. Whisk in the salt and lemon juice. Stir in the horseradish. Let the mixture chill for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. (It is best make 3 to 4 hours in advance.)
Prepare the ham chips. Preheat the oven: 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the slices of prosciutto on the paper, evenly spaced. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the slices midway through. Watch the ham carefully as the thickness determines how quickly they crisp up. When they feel dry and firm, remove from the oven and let them cool until crisp. Store the chips in an airtight container until ready to use.
Prepare the soup. Slice the leeks into 1/4-inch slices, white and light green parts, only. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are completely soft. Add salt midway through cooking.
As the leeks are cooking, peel the celery root. To peel the celery root, cut off the top and bottom ends of the root and set it on a cutting board, flat side down. Cut away the coarse skin, slicking it with a curved motion to match the curvature of the root. Conserve as much flesh as possible. Slice the root into 3/4-inch thick slices. Cut the slices into cubes. Add the cubes to the pot along with the water, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat so that the mixture is at a simmer. Cover with the lid askew. Cook the mixture for 30 to 40 minutes until the celery root is tender. Pierce some cubes to check for tenderness.
Remove the bay leaf and the thyme. Let the soup cool to tepid. Add the white pepper. Blend the soup until completely smooth. A hand blender or processor may also be used. If using a blender and the soup is still warm, only fill the container halfway. At this point the soup may be stored covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To serve the soup, reheat and ladle into serving bowls. Add a generous dollop of horseradish cream and then crumble the ham chips over the top. Sprinkle chives over the top and serve.
PRINTABLE RECIPE
This plan was perfect! I thought the soup was amazing and since the most time intensive part is peeling the celery root and even that didn't take too long, I would make this bowl of deliciousness again!
The Saturday Soup Swappers is a group of bloggers brought together by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm. The group gets together on the third Saturday of the month to share soups or stews based on a theme selected by one of the members. If you are interested in joining in on the fun, follow the link above for more information. All are welcome!
Celery Soup with Horseradish Cream
and Ham Chips
Soupe De Céleri-Rave A La Crème De Raifort Et Chips De Jambon
adapted from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
Yield: 6 servings
Horseradish Cream
1 1/2 cups crème fraîche
Generous pinch of sea or Kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish
Ham Chips
6 slices prosciutto
Soup
4 large leeks, cleaned
6 Tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or Kosher salt, plus additional if needed
1 1/2 pounds celery root
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
Minced fresh chives, for garnish
Prepare the horseradish cream. Whip the crème fraîche in a metal bowl with a whisk until it thickens. It should hold it's shape when you remove the whisk from the bowl. Whisk in the salt and lemon juice. Stir in the horseradish. Let the mixture chill for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. (It is best make 3 to 4 hours in advance.)
Prepare the ham chips. Preheat the oven: 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the slices of prosciutto on the paper, evenly spaced. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the slices midway through. Watch the ham carefully as the thickness determines how quickly they crisp up. When they feel dry and firm, remove from the oven and let them cool until crisp. Store the chips in an airtight container until ready to use.
Prepare the soup. Slice the leeks into 1/4-inch slices, white and light green parts, only. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are completely soft. Add salt midway through cooking.
As the leeks are cooking, peel the celery root. To peel the celery root, cut off the top and bottom ends of the root and set it on a cutting board, flat side down. Cut away the coarse skin, slicking it with a curved motion to match the curvature of the root. Conserve as much flesh as possible. Slice the root into 3/4-inch thick slices. Cut the slices into cubes. Add the cubes to the pot along with the water, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat so that the mixture is at a simmer. Cover with the lid askew. Cook the mixture for 30 to 40 minutes until the celery root is tender. Pierce some cubes to check for tenderness.
Remove the bay leaf and the thyme. Let the soup cool to tepid. Add the white pepper. Blend the soup until completely smooth. A hand blender or processor may also be used. If using a blender and the soup is still warm, only fill the container halfway. At this point the soup may be stored covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To serve the soup, reheat and ladle into serving bowls. Add a generous dollop of horseradish cream and then crumble the ham chips over the top. Sprinkle chives over the top and serve.
PRINTABLE RECIPE
This plan was perfect! I thought the soup was amazing and since the most time intensive part is peeling the celery root and even that didn't take too long, I would make this bowl of deliciousness again!
Kathy, I don't think that I've ever had celery soup and the idea doesn't sound great until you add in that horseradish cream and the proscuitto. That sounds great! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of horseradish cream! Ham chips?! Count me in.
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious and I love anything horseradish! Those ham chips too!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting combination. Hmmm. I use a lot of celery root and leeks, but hadn't thought of putting them together with horseradish, so glad I'll have recipe to try later on. I love the idea of the ham chips as well.
ReplyDeleteThis soup sounds amazing to me - what fantastic textures and flavor.
ReplyDeleteYou had me with horseradish cream! Sign me up! P~
ReplyDeleteThis soup just has everything going for it...celery, horseradish(one of my faves), and topped with ham (also another one of my faves)...how am I to resist? - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
ReplyDeleteCreamy horseradish soup I, am loving it.
ReplyDelete