It is hard to believe that after (almost) despising cauliflower for many years, I now have a food blog filled with recipes made with it as the main ingredient. Seriously, what was I thinking?
I can easily say that this year we ate cauliflower more than any other vegetable. And that wasn’t just because the majority of the year we were living on an island and it was one of the only vegetables that were consistently available, but also because until the beginning of 2015 I didn’t know how versatile it was. I think the turning point for me was this Cauliflower Steak Sandwich that I adapted from a small restaurant in Chicago.
Celery root, on the other hand, has always been a vegetable that I loved. Growing up, different kinds of dishes made with celery root, as the main ingredient was a winter staple in our house.
To me, the sweet and somewhat bitter flavors of this winter vegetable still remind me of home. I am in the process of perfecting some of my mother’s celery root recipes and plan to share them sometime in the future.
About this Creamy Cauliflower and Celeriac Soup with Roasted Shiitakes recipe:
And this soup my friends, is a mixture of my new and old favorite vegetables of all times: cauliflower and celery root. It is an incredibly flavorful soup that is easy and quick to make on a Tuesday night with a little prep in advance. I say that because another flavoring agent for this soup is oven roasted garlic, which is one of those things that I keep in my fridge at all times. Anytime I want to enhance the flavors of a simple dip, salad dressing, and/or a soup, I use roasted garlic as my secret ingredient. Most of the time just one or two cloves of roasted garlic can transform a dish and make people ask for the recipe.
However for this soup, with a whooping 2-roasted garlic bulbs, it is as important as the other two main ingredients. And surprisingly, it does a really good job elevating the flavors of cauliflower and celery root rather than taking over the whole soup.
For the recipe below, I used garlic that I had roasted over the weekend as I was trying to save some time. But if you want, you can certainly roast them while the other vegetables are cooking. This oven roasted garlic recipe is the one I often use and keep in the fridge.
But, wait. I think the best part of this celeriac and cauliflower soup is the roasted shiitake mushrooms on top. After sprinkled with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and black pepper, it takes less than 20 minutes to roast them.
My whole family was blown away about how well it paired with the soup. We loved it so much so that lately I have been topping pretty much all our breakfast dishes (i.e. our morning toast (spread with a little cream cheese), savory oatmeal, and eggs) with roasted shiitake mushrooms. Seriously, if you like mushrooms, it is addictive. Once you try it, I guarantee you will want to make more of it for snacking as you are making dinner.
Other Soups You Might Like
- Turkish Lentil Soup
- French Lentil Soup
- Roasted Kabocha Squash Soup with Sesame Seeds
- Dairy Free Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
Other Healthy Cauliflower Recipes You Might Like:
Creamy Cauliflower and Celery Root Soup with Roasted Shiitakes
Ingredients
- 2 large garlic bulbs, roasted (I use this roasted garlic recipe)
- 2 + 1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium-size head of cauliflower, 2 pounds, cut into small florets
- 1 medium celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 cups of water
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, wiped with a paper towel
- 1 teaspoon tamari, or apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt + Black Pepper
- 1/4 cup of chopped chives, as a garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven (or a heavy bottom pot) in medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the cauliflower florets, celery root, water, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium-low and cook until vegetables are soft, 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the stems of the mushrooms and discard. Slice them into 1/2-inch slices. Spread them on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1-tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Give them a gentle stir hallway through. Set aside.
- When the vegetables are cooked add in the roasted garlic, puree soup with an emersion blender (or a food processor or an upright blender) until completely smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning and add if necessary.
- Pour the now-pureed soup back into the pot, stir in the tamari, and heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Top it off with roasted shiitake mushrooms and garnish it with chopped chives.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Adapted with minor changes from Amy Chaplin’s cookbook: At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen.
Hey Aysegul! This is Deb Wilson again I discovered celery root not too long ago and I really like it I roasted it in the oven in chunks along with parsnips and turnips and then made a three-way mash out of them of course I added items to enhance the mash but even my husband liked it which was amazing!????
Cauliflower and celery root is a match made in heaven! This soup looks so warming and cozy, I just want to dig right in! xo
We’re having a cold snap in the weather so this recipe was perfect for a comforting supper. We were pleased with the mild taste of the soup and paired it with chicken salad flavored with dill on gluten-free toasted bread.
I hope to invest in an emersion blender for efficiency and less cleanup than using my small food processor. This recipe made enough for me to freeze 6 cups after we ate the first 3-4 cups. This will be great for the next cold snap.
Thanks for a great recipe!
This note is music to my ears Monica. I am so glad that you guys enjoyed it. Pairing it with a chicken salad sounds really good.
Thank you for letting me know.
Your photography and styling is so beautiful, Aysegul! I love comforting soups like this that are so full of flavour. Happy New Year! x
Louise,
Such a note coming from a very talented photographer like yourself means so much to me. I love your blog (and amazing photography) as well. I signed up for your e-mail list immediately. But I am going back for inspiration and gorgeous recipes.
Thanks for stopping by and your encouraging words.
Best,
Aysegul
Hahaaa… Cauliflower was on my no-go list for a long time. As a kid, the only way I’d eat it was at my grandmothers house, she knew how to prepare it! But when I started cooking in my own kitchen, that is when I learned to love it. Celerac, on the other hand, I’ve just discovered! Such a scraggly root but oh so flavorful! – btw – I looove your cauli steak sandwich!! So this soup, garlic and all, sounds just amazingly flavorful. The addition of roasted shiitakes is brilliant and I know ads depth to this already delicious soup! Thank you for this… so gorgeous and inspiring!
Thank you Traci. I guess we are all similar in that way: the more we eat and cook the more we appreciate the ingredients. 🙂
This soup looks so incredible Aysegul! I am loving the creaminess of it, and the roasted garlic sounds sooo divine! I’ve never had cauliflower soup, but I know that this is going to be the recipe I use when I try it. Also shiitake mushrooms are so great – love that choice! Beautiful photos, as always <3
Thank you Beeta! <3
I adore cauliflower and celery root, and unlike you, was a latecomer to both… (very late to celery root!). But this soup would the perfect marriage of their flavours for both. I also use roasted garlic in my celery root soup – I find it gives it just the perfect balance and depth of flavour! Beautiful work, as always.
Thank you so much for your kind words Ksenia. I truly appreciate it.
It truly is a perfect marriage between 2 gifts of nature during winter: cauliflower and celeriac. I had no idea that they would go so well until I made this recipe. I hope you’ll get a chance to try sometime.
XOXO
I loooove cauliflower soup! THis one has just gone on my to do list! Looks so thick, and creamy, and yummy…
http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Me too Miranda. I am new to it, but it is our new favorite.
Thank you for your kind words..
XOXO