Last of the winter veg in March’s kitchen

We’re clearing the last of the veg in the veg plot this week and I found a couple of celeriac that have survived the winter months! They will keep for a few weeks in the fridge so I made a batch of soup today and will use the other one up in a week or so. It’s not my favourite veg on it’s own but is great added in to potato for a shepherd’s pie topping! They’re a strange veg to work with but once you’ve peeled away the knobbly roots and the tough skin simply dice or slice and steam, boil or roast

Celeriac, smoked bacon & mustard soup

Serves 4 takes about an hour

Glug of oil

6 rashers smoky bacon, diced

25g butter

1 onion, diced

2 leeks, thinly sliced

200g celeriac, peeled and diced

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

600ml chicken or vegetable stock

2 tspn English or Dijon mustard

2 tspn lemon juice

5 tblsn double cream

Ground pepper

 

• Peel and dice the celeriac and pop in a bowl of water with a squeeze of lemon juice in it
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• Fry the bacon in the oil until crispy then leave to one side on some kitchen paper
• Melt the butter in a large pan, add the onion and leek. Cook gently for about 10 minutes
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• Add the celeriac, potato, stock and mustard and season with pepper.
• Bring to a gentle boil then turn the heat down and simmer gently for about 30 minutes until the celeriac is tender
• Blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Add more stock if you like a thinner consistency
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• Add the crispy bacon and simmer for a further 5 minutes
• Stir in the lemon juice and cream then simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with a grinding of black pepper and some crusty bread. Add a spoonful of cream or for an extra mustard hit stir through a spoon of wholegrain mustard.
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