Inner Domesticity

On a sick day, I wanted soup. And had a limited number of things to work with in my refrigerator & pantry, including a celery root that I needed to use. None of the recipes I found online had stellar reviews, so I made my own iteration, which was delicious. The recipe makes around 4 cups of soup, and while the color isn’t terribly appealing (beige), trust me that it tastes delicious.

What you need:

2 oz slab bacon, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium head fennel, diced

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium celery root, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 c. chicken stock

1 T. dried dill

2 bay leaves

Salt & pepper to taste

How to make it:

Saute the bacon in a medium pot for 5-6 minutes until the fat has rendered out. Remove some fat so you’re left with about 2 T. Add the fennel, onion, and celery ribs and saute for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and onion is clear. Add garlic and saute another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remember to season with salt and pepper each time you add a new ingredient.

Add celery root, chicken stock, dill and bay leaves. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes. Add potato and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Puree in a blender until smooth (be cautious when blending - cover top with a towel & be careful opening the top).

Pour into a bowl, top with a few fennel fronds or fresh dill and enjoy. You could reserve some of the crispy bacon for the top too, if you like.