The Whole Wheat

SOUP WEEK, ROUND 2

I was babysitting my friend’s adorable infant son the other night and brought a few veggies from my fridge I needed to use. Once the baby was asleep I set to chopping (and raiding the cabinets for spices!) and by the time my friend was home, hot soup was waiting.

Play with the portions of celery root (celeriac) & parsnip as desired. This is a great way to use up left over vegetable extras. A bit of potato would also be nice in this soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 t. celery seeds
• 1/4 t. ground ginger
• 1/2 t. dried thyme
• 2 c. parsnip, sliced into 1/4″ pieces
• 2 c. celery root (or celeriac), well peeled and sliced into 1/4″ slices
• 6-8 c. vegetable stock

1. Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil then saute the onions & garlic for a few minutes. As they begin to soften, season with salt & pepper, and also add the celery seeds, ginger, and dried thyme. Continue cooking until onion takes on a bit of color, about 5-10 minutes total.
2. Add the parsnip & celery root to the pot. Sauté for a moment then add the broth. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the root vegetables have softened, about 30 minutes.
3. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup. Continue to heat for a few more minutes and add more broth or water if needed to thin the soup. Serve hot!