Celeriac Soup with crispy sage and hazelnuts
I first fell in love with celeriac in France, where we used to travel extensively as kids and here the remoulade was a firm lunchtime favourite. Since living in Italy, I tend to roast it most often with garlic and salt, it also loves thyme as a partner. During the colder days, it is also wonderful as a hearty soup combined with cannellini beans and a little apple for sharpness.
INGREDIENTS
1 celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped
1 leek, washed, trimmed and sliced
1 apple, cored, peeled and roughly chopped
1 jar of cannellini beans 300g
2 lts vegetable stock
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
A handful of hazelnuts
Around 20 fresh sage leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – we love the mountain oil of Tenute Pennita, named Selezione Alina after Gianluca’s wife. This nostrana di Brisighella oil is full of wild potency and works wonderfully with celeriac.
Flaked sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
METHOD
Warm some olive oil in a deep saucepan and add the sliced leek with a pinch of rock salt. Sautee over a medium heat for around 5-7 minutes until it has softened.
Next, add the celeriac, apples and thyme and cook for 2–3 minutes, then add the stock and cannellini beans and season well. Simmer over a low heat for 20–30 minutes, until the celeriac is tender, then remove from the heat and blitz with a hand blender until smooth.
Toast the hazelnuts whole in a pan for a few minutes, then set to one side. Before serving you may like to crush a few into large pieces.
At the last minute, fry the sage leaves in extra virgin olive oil and a little flaked salt until crispy. Serve immediately.