Celeriac Soup

Ingredients for this soup can be found commonly in the hills of Emilia-Romagna where celery, mushrooms and truffles thrive and pork is king. There it would be called minestra di sedano-rapa and in keeping with the Italian model of cooking a few simple but high quality ingredients produce the best flavors. This soup is one of my all-time  favorites.

If you have never worked with celeriac (celery root) remove the outer skin by first slicing the off the end and using the flat surface you create as a base to stand up the bulb. You can then remove the skin by slicing downward all around.

Recipe by Amber Share
Serves 4

4 ounces proscuitto, sliced finely
1/2 onion, diced
2 large bulbs celeriac, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
32 ounces low sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

In a large pan fry proscuitto until crisp in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the celeriac and onions, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook 15 minutes. Add broth. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer 30-40 minutes or until completely soft. Blend or process until smooth. Serve topped with the fried proscuitto.

Printable .pdf available here