Potato, Celariac and Truffle Oil Soup

I found some celeriac in the fridge that needed immediate attention.  Don't be put off by the ugly appearance.

So what to do?  I was actually browsing through Jamie Oliver's website and found myself amongst soups.  Even though it is Spring I was most definitely in soup making frame of mind.  And with parents arriving from Scotland next week thought I'd stock the freezer up with some quick lunches.  What really caught my eye was "truffle oil". 

Until recently I have not been a huge fan of truffles full stop.  I find they can be so overwhelmingly pungent and over powering, taking over rather than enhancing.  That was until a visit to Sabato a week or so ago when they had Mas Portell White Truffle Infused Olive Oil open for tasting.  Just beautiful.  Pungent yes, but not too much  and just the smell, slightly sweet and fragrant aroma - it was heavenly. They actually have quite a plethora of truffle stuff...truffle butter, truffle salt, truffle juice, truffle puree, whole truffles and truffle cream which I think could possibly be quite exceptional with pasta.  Potentially foresee a truffle phase coming on as this is my new favourite ingredient.

And then I came across this recipe potato, celeriac and truffle oil soup.  A perfect match with ingredients on hand.  I held off on the cream and had a delicious, rich, full of flavour soup.  Cream would of course take it to the next level and most certainly be decadent.

Celeriac: this round, rather ugly ball has a wild tangle of roots at the bottom and tick green inedible stalks and leaves at the top.  Celeriac can be roasted or steamed and they make for an excellent mash or creamy soup (see below).  Or it can be made in to the classic French remoulade.  Thin freshly grated celeriac mixed with mustard mayonnaise...a tasty little condiment.
Once peeled celeriac will brown quickly so to avoid this, if not using straight away, just place it in some acidulated water, that would be water with a little lemon juice.


Celeriac Likes: butter, apples, cream, mayonnaise, walnuts, lemon, mustard, chives, parsley, pickles, gherkins and cheese (blue, Gruyere, cheddar) For a truly wicked gratin layer slices of celeriac with Gruyere cheese, season each layer, pour in some cream and bake in until bubbling and golden brown.

So here is the recipe for the soup that will be ready for supper in only 40 minutes or so.

Potato, celeriac and truffle oil soup

Ingredients

1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped ( I also added a few stalks of diced celery)
1 good knob of butter

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch of fresh thyme

500g celeriac, peeled and roughly diced

500g floury potatoes, peeled and roughly diced

1.1 litres chicken stock (if you want to go vegetarian vegetable stock would work too :))

100ml double cream - I didn't happen to have any and this still came out beautifully.

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3–4 tablespoons truffle oil

Directions

In an appropriately sized pot, slowly fry the onion in the butter and olive oil for about 5 minutes until translucent and soft but not coloured at all. Get your bunch of thyme, tie it up with a little string and add to the pot with the celeriac, potatoes and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the cream, bring back to the boil, then remove the thyme and purée the mixture in a liquidizer or food processor. Season carefully to taste, adding the truffle oil tablespoon by tablespoon – the oil can vary in strength depending on the brand. Divide between your serving bowls. Feel free to improvise by adding croûtons, a little extra cream or, if you're really lucky, some real black or white truffles shaved over the top.

To serve I added a few celery leaves, a little quenelle of sour cream and a drizzle of the white truffle oil - totally in love with that stuff.  The warmth of the soup releases the wonderful aroma of the truffle oil.  Great for lunch with some crusty bread and butter.  Comfort food indeed!

Enjoy!