Celeriac & Apple Soup with blue cheese toasts (serves 6)
75 g / 3 oz butter or 3 tbsp olive oil
I large onion, peeled & chopped
1 large leek, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
about 900 g / 2 lb celeriac, peeled & diced (it is easier to peel if you chop the celeriac into quarters first)
1 apple, peeled, cored & diced
200 ml cider
1.2 litres / 2 pts stock
Salt & pepper to season
For the toasts:
6 slices baguette or other small chunks of bread (can be slightly stale or dry)
25 g / 1 oz butter
60 g 2½ oz blue cheese
- Place the butter or oil in large pan over a medium/low heat. Add the onions, leeks, carrots & celery and cook 10-12 minutes until beginning to colour.
- Add the celeriac & apple and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the cider & stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently until the celeriac is tender (about 15 minutes)
- Puree the soup in a blender or press through a sieve. Return to the pan and season lightly (go easy on salt as the blue cheese will be salty).
- Mash the blue cheese and butter together. Toast the slices of bread, then spread with the cheese mix and reheat under the grill until melted & sizzling.
- Reheat the soup, if necessary. Serve in bowls with a slice of cheesy toast on top.
Note: don’t worry if you don’t have all the vegetables listed – the leek, carrot or celery could be omitted without seriously affecting the recipe. However this soup is a good way to use up leftovers (including flat cider, stale bread, dried up cheese and slightly sad vegetables!)
Recipe contributed by Mary Venning