Celeriac-Apple Soup and Salad

In the winter, I’m always on the look for a nice plump celeriac (also known as celery root), but too often I find small ones, that are only suitable for flavoring vegetable soups and don’t have enough substance to be cooked on their own.  This week I finally got lucky and found one that I could use to make one of my favorite soups – celeriac and apple.
In fact, the root was even too big for the portion of soup I had in mind, so I ended up using the leftover shredded celeriac and apples, to create a tasty Waldorf-style salad. As I’ve used the food processor to shred the celeriac and apples, both dishes were easy and quick to prepare. Just what I was looking for. Try both and and enjoy.

Notes:
* For easier peeling, cut the celeriac into sections, then peel each section with a sharp knife.
* In order not to mask the unique flavor of the celeriac, I used only a small amount of spices.
* The soup can be served as is, or with some bold flavor toppings, such as the blue cheese shown here, or any other sharp cheeses. Heavy cream or sour cream are also wonderful additions to the soup.
* Other toppings I recommend are: celery leaves, diced apples, chopped crispy bacon, roasted slivered almonds and homemade bread croutons.
* The salad is wonderful on its own, or as a side dish for roasted meats.

Makes: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For the soup:
½ stick (55 grams) butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground 4 pepper mix
5 cups water
4 cups shredded celeriac
1 cup shredded peeled Granny Smith apple
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 Tbs honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
For serving options: see notes

1. For easier peeling, cut the celeriac into sections, then peel each section with a sharp knife. Shred in a food processor and measure 4 cups. Set aside.

2. In a medium pot, mix the butter, onion, salt and pepper. Sauté on medium-high heat, until the onion is soft. Add the water and the shredded celeriac and apple. Mix and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, mixing occasionally.

3. Add the add the nutmeg, honey and mustard, mix and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes longer, until the celeriac is very soft. Take off the heat and puree with a hand blender. Mix and adjust seasoning before serving.

For the salad:
2 cups shredded celeriac
1 cup shredded peeled Granny Smith apple
1/3 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground 4 pepper mix
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Let sit at room temperature for half an hour before serving. The salad can keep, in an airtight container  in the fridge, for up to 3 days.