Creamy Celeriac Soup (with crispy bacon and breadcrumbs)
This celeriac soup recipe is so easy to make, but thanks to my secret ingredient, you get a silky soup while highlighting the delicate flavor of celery root.
Table of content
In winter, I often serve this creamy celeriac soup as a main meal topped with crispy bacon as well as toasted breadcrumbs. Both are a great addition to the celeriac root, which tastes quite mild when cooked compared to other root vegetables.
Ingredients and alternatives
To make this delicious soup, you only need a few ingredients. My secret ingredient to making this celeriac really creamy is to add cream cheese (instead of cream) to the soup. A real game changer!
- Celeriac: I use a whole celeriac. It’s important to weigh it carefully to adjust the amount of water. I count 1 liter of water for 1 kg of celeriac to get the perfect consistency.
- Onion: A medium-sized yellow onion. It can be replaced by another type of onion to suit your tastes.
- Garlic: To enhance the taste of the celeriac.
- Vegetable stock: Choose a good-quality vegetable stock. You can also use chicken stock.
- Thyme and bay leaves: To add flavor to the soup! I use fresh herbs that I remove before blending. You can use dried thyme and bay leaves or even other herbs.
- Cream cheese: To get a really creamy soup and also to add a little bit of sour taste. You can replace it with heavy cream, sour cream or even coconut milk.
- Olive oil: Just for sautéing the vegetables. And I also like to add a drizzle at the end to decorate and spice up the taste.
You will find the exact quantities in the recipe card.
How to prepare a celeriac?
Celeriac often flies under the radar as a winter vegetable, yet it’s incredibly nutritious and budget-friendly.
If you are not used to cooking with celeriac, this wonderful soup is a great way to discover this root vegetable and add it to your winter rotation. But first, let me give you a few tips on how to prepare it.
- Cut the ends off the celeriac.
- Place one of the flat ends on your cutting board.
- Then, holding your celeriac with one hand, peel the skin with a sharp knife.
- Cut it in slices and then in cubes of equal sizes.
Have a look at my blog article to learn more about how to prepare celeriac.
How to make a celeriac soup?
Sauté: Sauté onion and celeriac in a large pot or a Dutch oven with a bit of olive oil for 2 min. Add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Cook: Pour the vegetable broth, season with salt and pepper and add thyme and bay leaves. Cook for 25-30 minutes on medium heat until the celeriac is done.
Blend: Remove the thyme andbay leaves. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender. Add the cream cheese and blend again.
Toppings: Crispy bacon and roasted breadcrumbs.
For the breadcrumbs
Preheat the oven at 180 °C (350 °F). Using a food processor, crumble the stale bread and add olive oil. Mix well. Place on a baking pan and bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes until crispy.
For the cripy bacon
Increase the oven temperature to 200 °C (390 °F). Place the bacon slices on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 12-15 until crispy, longer if you like.
Serve: Serve the celeriac soup in small bowls topped with some bacon bits, breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. Finish with black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil
Géraldine Tips
- Right consistency: To get the right consistency, I like to count the same weight of water as for the celeriac. For example, if my celeriac weighs 1 kg, I’ll add 1 liter of vegetable stock. If my soup is too thick, I add a little milk or water and blend again. Better start with less water and add more at the end than the other way around.
- Bouquet garni: Don’t mix bay leaves and thyme sprigs in your soup, as this will add too much bitterness. That’s why I make a “bouquet garni”, i.e. I tie my herbs with kitchen string and can easily remove them before blending.
- Roasted celeriac: For extra flavor, you can roast your celeriac and the onion in the oven with olive oil for 15 min before using it in the soup. You can reduce the cooking time of the soup to 10 minutes only then.
More healthy soups
- Carrot, Ginger and Coconut Soup
- Creamy White Bean Soup
- Healthy Tomato Basil Soup
- Broccoli, Pea and Ginger Soup
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup (Low Carb)
FAQ: Creamy Celeriac Soup
Absolutely! Celeriac soup often tastes even better when flavors meld over time. Allow it to cool before refrigerating in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze for longer storage. When reheating, add a splash of broth or milk to maintain the soup’s creamy consistency.
Absolutely! Celeriac soup freezes well, making it a convenient option for meal prep. Allow it to cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container.
It’s recommended to peel celeriac before making the soup to achieve a smoother texture. The skin can be tough and may affect the overall consistency. However, the skin of celeriac root is edible so if you enjoy a more rustic texture, you can leave some skin on after thorough cleaning.
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Recipe card
Creamy Celeriac Soup (with crispy bacon and breadcrumbs)
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Ingredients
- 1 celeriac 1 kg / 2 lb
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth or same amount as weight of celeriac
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup of cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Toppings (optional)
- 4 slices of bacon
- 2 slices of stale bread
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 fresh curly parsley chopped
Instructions
Prepare the celeriac
- Cut the ends off the celeriac. Place one of the flat ends on your cutting board.
- Then, holding your celeriac with one hand, peel the skin with a sharp knife. Cut it in slices and then in cubes of equal sizes.
Make the soup
- Sauté onion and celeriac in a large pot or a Dutch oven with a bit of olive oil for 2 min. Add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Pour the vegetable broth, season with salt and pepper and add thyme and bay leaves. Cook for 25-30 minutes on medium heat until the celeriac is done.
- Remove the thyme andbay leaves. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender. Add the cream cheese and blend again.
Prepare the toppings
- For the breadcrumbs
- Preheat the oven at 180 °C (350 °F). Using a food processor, crumble the stale bread and add olive oil. Mix well. Place on a baking pan and bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes until crispy.
- For the crispy bacon
- Increase the oven temperature to 200 °C (390 °F). Place the bacon slices on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 12-15 until crispy, longer if you like.
- Serve the celeriac soup in small bowls topped with some bacon bits, breadcrumbs and fresh parsley. Finish with black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil
Video
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