Celery root is available at most supermarkets. Makes 4 quarts.
Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 pound unsalted butter
9 leeks, white parts only, diced and rinsed
Salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 quart water
1 quart chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 large celery root, peeled, rinsed and diced
3 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup crème fraîche
Pepper
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Hot sauce to taste
Directions
In a Dutch oven or non-reactive soup pot, bring 1 cup water to a boil over medium heat. Add the butter and bring the liquid back to a boil. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt, stir well and cover. Turn the heat to low, and cook until the leeks are tender, about 20 minutes.
In a separate small saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer and reduce by 3/4.
Add the additional water, broth, bay leaf, celery root and potatoes to the pot with the leeks. Cook until the celery root and potatoes are completely tender, about 1 hour. Add reduced wine during last 10 minutes of cooking.
Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup in batches, adding the crème fraîche and seasonings. (Be careful not to fill the blender too full or you’ll be scraping this soup off your ceiling.)
Serve with a garnish of toasted country bread or truffle oil.
