Celeriac & Asparagus Soup

With some left over celeriac kicking around from a salad I made last week this soup resulted. This is not a diet soup by any means, but it is one of those soups that is thick and creamy due only to the mass of the vegetables. When I make vegetable puree based soups I do a taste test to see if a splash of cream would enhance the soup or not. In this case I found it sufficiently creamy. I did have some truffle infused olive oil sitting in the pantry so I decided to drizzle each portion with a little.

Celeriac & Asparagus Soup

• 15 ml / 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 500 ml / 2 cups celeriac, peeled and cubed
• 1 l / 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 branch fresh thyme
• 15 large stalks asparagus, peeled and chopped into small pieces
• small splash hot sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• garnish with truffle oil or olive oil infused with truffle (the second is cheaper by far but less flavorful)

In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium low heat. Add onion, celeriac and thyme and cook, stirringly occasionally, until celeriac and onion begin to brown and a fork passes easily through celeriac. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until asparagus is just cooked through (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly. With a fork remove the thyme branch. Puree in batches in a blender until smooth. The asparagus will leave small green flecks, because it has not been overcooked and is still a vibrant green. Add the hot sauce and season to taste. This soup should be heated only when you intend to eat it, and then removed from heat in order to preserve the bright green color. Garnish with oil.