Celery, Parsnip + Leek Soup
Post by Molly
The week after Thanksgiving, my fridge was filled with the usual suspects. Turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes—the whole crew of leftovers we all know too well. So we did what we do best and pumped out a breakfast strata from the extra pan of veggie stuffing, Anna ate her turkey between two slices of rye, and we even attempted mashed potato latkes in honor of the double holiday. But the giant bag of leftover celery from my stuffing didn’t excite me in the least. No matter how you slice it, there are always leftover celery stalks, and this was a Tupp Up challenge I wasn’t prepared to face.
I stared grimly at the bag of celery for days, and just as I was about to settle for ants on a log (never underestimate the power of kindergarten snacks), I remembered my Papu’s cream of celery soup. A simple yet lovely puree of celery, potatoes, and, you guessed it—heavy cream. I added parsnips, leeks, and celeriac (the gnarly root of celery) for extra flavor, and went easy on the dairy. Celery crisis averted.
Prep: 20 mins / Cook: 50 mins / Serves: 4-6 / Need: Food processor or immersion blender
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 3-4 Tbsp. butter
- 6 celery stalks, diced
- 1-2 leeks, diced
- 2 parsnips, diced
- 2 small celeriac roots, peeled and diced
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
- Half white onion, diced
- 1.5 cups of vegetable broth
- 1 tsp. celery salt
- 2 cups cream, 2% milk, or dairy substitute of your choice
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Few sprigs of parsley, chopped
WHAT YOU DO:
- Melt butter in soup pot.
- Saute celery, leeks, parsnips, celeriac, potato, and onion until soft, about 12 minutes.
- Add broth and celery salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Puree mixture with an immersion blender, or remove chunks with a slotted spoon and place in food processor.
- If blending in a food processor, return to pot and add cream or milk.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with parsley for garnish.