Sunchoke & Celeriac Soup

You’re making soup, why not make a batch!

Makes 36 cups (9 quarts) – about 12 sides or 7 mains

Freeze the extra or this recipe can easily be halved

A fabulous soup to celebrate some of the Fall’s lesser know veg – delicate, velvety, with a je ne sais quoi about it.  Fabulous with many Provencal flavors like artichoke, fennel, tarragon, lavender and parsley, this soup can be paired with a light salad for a lovely lunch, or served as a starter to a larger meal.  I recently accompanied it with Ricotta Tartlets and a Delight-Fall Salad that would make a fabulous brunch too.

All of the body comes from pureed vegetables - so this is a wonderfully filling yet light soup at the same time, and really lets these subtle flavors shine.  If you are worried about acceptance of weird things like sunchokes and celeriac, use the larger amount of potatoes listed to "dilute" these new flavors.  Otherwise, use less potato and really get to know these ethereal fall flavors!

Place a large stock pot over medium high heat.  Add olive oil to coat the bottom and sauté:

• 2 large sweet onions (such as Walla walla) or 4 medium boiler onions, diced

Once sweated and translucent add

• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (you don't want this to overwhelm the delicate flavors)

Stir to prevent the garlic from burning and cook until fragrant and softened, about 2 mins.  Then add

• 2 large celeriac (~4 lb), peeled and diced (see What to do with a Celeriac for help)
• 2 lb sunchokes, diced (peeling is optional but fussy)
• 1 – 1.5 lb thin-skinned potatoes, diced
• 2 - 32 oz containers (64 oz total) vegetable stock, such as Wolfgang Puck or homemade
• 1 c dry white white, such as pinot grigio/pinot gris or chardonnay (easy on the oak)
• Pinch of salt

Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 15 minutes, or until the veggies are well cooked and soft enough to puree. 

Remove lid and take the pot off the burner to let it cool until you can safely handle the contents – 20 min or so, more is great too.  Then puree with a stick blender or food processor until smooth.  Alternatively, drain off and reserve some of the liquid, then mash by hand and reintroduce the liquid until incorporated.  If you want really silky smooth soup you probably own a chinoise[1] and know how to use it, otherwise, you have a fabulous soup - just proceed to the next step.

Bring back up to a simmer, add a healthy pinch of kosher salt and a bunch of black pepper, and heat on the stove for at least 10-15 min, then cover and reduce to low.  This lets the flavors blend and is important – do not skip this part. 

This soup is thick and tends to separate a little if left on the stove (which is great for flavor development, so don’t worry), so be sure to give it a good stir before serving.  Give it a healthy squeeze of lemon (I’m thinking a least one whole one) just as you ladle it out – or top each bowl.  For a fancy touch, top with white truffle oil, otherwise give it a healthy dose of black pepper.  This soup freezes well too, so make lots and enjoy later.

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[1] A chinoise (sometimes chinois) is a conical sieve with an extremely fine mesh. It is used to strain custards, purees, soups, and sauces, producing a very smooth texture. It can also be used to dust pastry with a fine layer of powdered sugar. Source: Wikipedia.