Roasted Celeriac and Potato Veloute

Way back in the 90’s there was a food trend that swept through American restaurants. It seemed all the cool restaurants were combining celeriac with potatoes to create a zesty puree! I also jumped in and joined the craze during my culinary training years in New England. I even brought the concept with me to Switzerland and the first restaurant I worked at in Zürich. And I promptly received the dreaded Swiss reaction loosely translated to, ‘that’s special,’ which is polite code to say something sucks.

But I’m not giving up and I think it’s time to bring this flavor profile back to life – only this time in the form of a soup!

Late winter and early spring is an interesting and challenging time for fresh food. Winter roots have sat in storage for several months and seem…well…rather tired. Early season spring offerings are limited and usually under-developed or come from a land far away. The weather is also challenging at times for those living further distances from the equator. The chilly winter air often battles the occasional warm spring vibe for supremacy. Of course, spring will ultimately win the war, but there are those days in between when a warm soup is necessary…a soup exactly like this simple roasted celeriac-potato veloute!

Yield: 6-8 servings