Celeriac Soup with Kale & Truffle Pesto

I officially declare this the last soup recipe of the season. Now that the evenings are getting lighter and the weather is perking up a little, we won't need their warming qualities much longer. But this one was so good that I just had to share!

The soup itself is smooth, velvety and has a delicious depth of flavour. Celeriac is a corker of a root and I love it both cooked and raw. It'll be perfect for slaws and salads going into Summer! My Kale pesto is tinged with Truffle oil which gives it a real earthiness. This pesto recipe made just over a ramekin of pesto, this was enough to garnish 2 soups and also dress pasta the following night.

To serve 3 comfortably, or 4 as a starter, you will need:

For the soup:

1 large Celeriac

1 large white Onion

2 sprigs of Thyme

2 Celery sticks

1 litre Mushroom stock

Smoked salt (optional)

Black Pepper

1 tbsp Coconut Oil

For the pesto:

Handful of Kale leaves

1 small clove of Garlic, crushed

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tbsp Pine nuts

2 tsp Truffle oil (optional)

To garnish:

1 tbsp Pine Nuts (toasted)

First roughly dice the onion and slice the celery sticks. Melt the coconut oil in a deep saucepan set on a medium heat. Add the onion and celery to the pan, mix through the thyme leaves (no stalks) and let soften for 10-12 minutes. You are only looking to soften the onions, not to brown them.

Use a large knife to cut away the rough outer of the head of Celeriac. Chop roughly into inch-wide cubes and add to the pan with the onion and celery. Mix together and cook for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. 

Make up a litre of stock - I like to use Mushroom stock as it's not at all overpowering and the slight earthiness works well in this soup. You can use any vegetarian stock you like to use. I try to make my own vegetable stock regularly to freeze but when I run out I use 'Kallo - Organic Mushroom Stock' as they're the best shop-bought stock cubes I've tried. Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil then let simmer for at least 30 minutes. Take off the heat and blend well using a hand blender. I often like a chunky soup but this one suits being super-smooth.

Now for the pesto! Put all of the ingredients into a mini blender and blitz until you have a coarse green paste. You can also do this in a pestle and mortar if you fancy using a bit of elbow grease. 

Before serving season the soup with a little salt and pepper. I used smoked salt but normal salt flakes or celery salt would be fine. The faint hint of smokiness worked well with the other flavours and if you haven't tried smoked salt before then I urge you to - it's a dream with some mashed avocado, or many other things for that matter.

Serve the soup with a dollop or swirl of the pesto - what's your style? I'm a swirler, for sure - with a few toasted pine nuts to finish. You can use the grill or a small pan to toast the pine nuts in no more than a couple of minutes. 

Enjoy!

Spicy Orzo with Swiss Chard & Anchovies

Continuing on our constantly evolving food journey I find that every day truly is a school day. My husband found out he is lacking in vitamin D, which could explain some recent health issues. With this in mind I've been using lots of lovely dark green vegetables and other foods high in vitamin D this week. Spinach, Kale, Chard and Mushrooms to name a few. As well as the addition of canned fish such as Sardines and Anchovies which are high in key nutrients. 

We've kept fish on the menu - on an occasional basis - because as well as their nutritional value we really do enjoy them. However, I watched the documentary 'Vegucated' yesterday and it's definitely resonated with me. The ocean is just another resource for us to drain. But what right do we have? Anyway it just got me thinking and I'm not ruling out giving up fish altogether. We'll see, but I will definitely be making an even bigger effort to source sustainable seafood in the meantime. 

 This is a quick, simple dinner - perfect for week-nights and packed with goodness. Orzo is a durum-wheat pasta and this dish is not dissimilar to a risotto, in a way. To serve 2, you will need:

• 130g Orzo
• 200g Swiss chard 
• 1 tin of anchovies
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 large garlic clove
• Small handful of dill
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• Black pepper

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Firstly bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the orzo as per the instructions on the pack, approximately 7 minutes, drain then set aside. Try not to overcook as it can become stodgy.

Chop the anchovies and finely slice the garlic. Rinse then shred the chard - I usually cut into strips around 1-2cm wide. Put the pine nuts into a small pan and onto a high heat. Shake around while on the heat and once the nuts have browned slightly take off the heat and set aside in a ramekin. Try not to get distracted while doing this as they will burn very quickly once they start - believe me, I speak from experience!!

Warm the olive oil in a deep pan and set on a medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and move around the pan with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes allowing them to release their aromas. Then add the chard and coat well in the flavoured oil. Turn down to a med-low heat, put a lid on the pan and let the chard wilt for 2 minutes. 

Finally add the orzo, cayenne pepper, chilli flakes, toasted pine nuts, dill and a grating of black pepper then mix everything together well before serving. I reserved a little dill and a few pine nuts to pop on the top to serve.

Really lovely warmth and depth of flavour. If you can't get hold of chard any other dark greens will work fine in it's place. If you find anchovies overpowering then just add less - I like the kick a whole tin gives but it can be quite salty if you are not used to them. 

If you are making any of my recipes I would love to hear from you. You can contact me on Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest @VChloeK & tag your photos #edibleroots