Creamy Celeriac Soup with Bacon (Printer-friendly)

Velvety celeriac purée with cream and crispy bacon. A delicate European comfort bowl ready in 50 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large celeriac (approximately 1.5 lbs), peeled and diced
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
04 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
06 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

→ Seasonings

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
09 - Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, optional

→ Garnish

10 - 4 slices streaky bacon
11 - Chopped fresh chives or parsley, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sauté until soft and translucent, approximately 4 minutes.
02 - Add diced celeriac and potato to the pot. Stir to coat vegetables evenly with butter and cook for 3 minutes.
03 - Pour in stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until vegetables are very tender.
04 - Meanwhile, place bacon slices in a cold, dry skillet. Cook over medium heat until crispy, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels and crumble or leave whole.
05 - Remove soup from heat. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth, or carefully blend in batches in a standard blender.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and a pinch of nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently reheat if needed, but do not allow to boil.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and top with crispy bacon and a sprinkle of fresh chives or parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes fancy enough to serve to guests but comes together in under an hour with minimal fuss.
  • The contrast of creamy soup against crispy bacon is the kind of textural genius that makes you want to keep eating past full.
  • Celeriac is underrated and this recipe makes it shine without pretension.
02 -
  • Don't puree the soup too vigorously or for too long or it can become gluey instead of silky—a few pulses with an immersion blender is often better than smooth-as-silk perfection.
  • The bacon must be cooked in a dry skillet from cold so it renders its fat gradually; starting it in a hot pan means it seizes up tough and chewy instead of shatteringly crisp.
03 -
  • Make this soup a day ahead and refrigerate it—the flavors meld and deepen overnight, and you'll just need to gently reheat it and add the bacon garnish fresh.
  • If your soup breaks when you add the cream, don't panic; whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water) and it will smooth right out.
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