Here’s another winter soup that you can add to your collection. This creamy Turkish Celeriac Soup is packed with flavor in every serving. Excellent as an appetizer or as a light meal on its own!
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Traditionally, the locals believe this soup can ease an upset stomach — that’s real comfort in a bowl, right? 😉
Even without the garlic and mint sauce, it’s undeniably delicious. But if you add a teaspoon of that sauce? You get creamy, nutty, earthy, smoky — just YUM.
You simply have to try it yourself. Enjoy it on its own or serve it with some homemade bread!
Ingredients
- Celeriac – sometimes called ‘celery root‘. They taste a bit like celery, with a ton of nuttiness added.
- Stock – I always use vegetable stock, but chicken stock is a good alternative if you don’t have it available.
- Yogurt – you have to use plain yogurt; any other kind will affect the soup’s flavor. I generally use plain Greek yogurt, which is what I had for this recipe.
- Chili flakes – this is just a substitute; crushed long green dried pepper is traditionally used in Turkey. If you have that in your part of the world, lucky you — no such luck here in Stockholm.
Preparation
Start by heating oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is ready, add onion and garlic (photo 1).
Cook until the onion has softened, then add the carrots, celeriac, and stock (photo 2).
Add chili flakes, salt, and pepper, then mix and cover the pan with a lid.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables turned soft. This normally takes twenty-five to thirty minutes.
Take a medium-sized skillet, then heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is ready, add the smashed garlic (photo 3).
Cook until garlic turned slightly brown, then add the dried mint (photo 4).
Mix to combine, then take the skillet off the heat.
Once the carrots and celeriac are cooked, take the saucepan off the heat, then use a hand blender to puree the vegetables (photo 5).
Add the yogurt to the pureed soup and mix to combine (photo 6).
Cover the saucepan again, and bring creamier, pureed soup to a boil.
Transfer celery root soup into bowls, serve with garlic and mint mixture, and some fresh dill, if desired.
Helpful tips
- You can use a stand blender if that’s what you have. Just remember to let the soup cool down before pouring it into the blender.
- Do another round of blitzing if the yogurt is not completely melted. I’ve seen this occasionally happen, depending on the brand of yogurt that I use.
- If you are tempted to use fresh mint instead of the dried one, don’t. There is a hint of earthiness and smokiness in the dried ones that blend so well with the celeriac soup’s flavor.
FAQs
- HOW DO YOU PEEL THE CELERIAC?
I know it looks daunting — quite tricky to figure out where to start. 🙂
First, you have to make sure you use a sharp knife; a normal peeler will not work. Then you chop the top and the bottom so that you will have a steady, flat base.
To continue peeling, cut down the side while going around the root.
- HOW TO USE CELERY ROOT IN SOUP?
As soon as you finish peeling it, cut them into identical small cubes and place them in a bowl of cold water with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar.
You need to have that splash of acid in there to prevent the celeriac from turning brown (or oxidizing) right after peeling.
Drain them right before you add them to your soup.
See how easy it is? Give this creamy celery root soup a try and let me know what you think in the comment section below!
If you want a stew instead, but still healthy, then I’ve got an excellent vegetable stew for you. Head straight to my other post, Ethiopian Spicy Pumpkin Stew (Duba Wat)!
Or perhaps you like to try other Middle-Eastern soups? Then you should check out these posts:
Turkish Celeriac Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
Celeriac Soup:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium carrot, cubed
- 1/2 kg celeriac (about 1 lb), cubed
- 4 cups stock
- salt and pepper, to season
- 1/8 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
Sauce:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tsp dried mint
Instructions
Prepare soup:
- Use a medium-sized pan to heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is ready, add onion and garlic and cook until the onions have slightly softened.
- Add the carrots, celeriac, stock, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix.
- Cover the pan with a lid, then bring to a boil.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the vegetables are cooked.
- Take the saucepan off the heat, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
- Once you get a smooth texture, add the yogurt, mix, then taste and adjust seasoning.
- Place the saucepan back on the heat, covered, then bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat off, then transfer soup into bowls for serving.
- Serve with garlic and mint sauce and some fresh dill.
Prepare sauce:
- Place a medium-sized skillet on medium-high heat, then add the remaining olive oil.
- When the oil is ready, add the smashed garlic and cook until they turned darker.
- Add the dried mint, mix, then take the skillet off the heat.
- Set aside for serving.
Notes
- Make sure you only use plain yogurt for this recipe. Any other type will affect the flavor of the celeriac soup.
- Vegetable stock is generally used, but chicken stock can also be an option.
- Crushed long green dried pepper is traditionally used for this soup, but chili flakes are an excellent substitute.
- Use a stand blender if you don’t have an immersion blender. Just give the soup enough time to cool before pouring it into the blender.
- If you still see portions of yogurt after boiling, use the immersion blender again to get a smooth texture for the soup.
- Do not replace dried mint with fresh mint. There is a hint of earthiness and smokiness in the dried ones that blend so well with this creamy celeriac soup’s flavor.
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