If you fancy something a little different, this yummy soup could be the thing. It’s packed full of gut-loving fibre and has a subtle savoury flavour. You could even pimp it up with some chopped chestnuts for a seasonal twist.
Celeriac is a funny looking vegetable – often it comes with a gaggle of roots entwined around the base, a bit reminiscent of the Ood from Dr Who! It tastes a bit like celery, which is not surprising since essentially they are the same plant, just cultivated differently; celery for the stalks and celeriac for the bulb. If you’re not a celery fan though, don’t be put off, as whilst there are similarities, celeriac is much more earthy than celery stalks (which I’m not a huge fan of although I try!).
For a funny root, celeriac comes with some fab nutritional benefits including vitamin C, K, potassium and some lovely little antioxidant compounds. Cooking reduces some of these, but they are still there. There’s also different types of soluble and insoluble fibre, both of which are good for gut health, along with inulin, a type of fibre that act as dinner for the friendly bacteria in your microbiome. The fibre also makes celeriac satiating, reducing hunger.
Leeks are also enjoyed by the microbiome, and can be more tolerable for people with IBS or gastric reflux. They too have a surprising array of healthful phytonutrients including lutein which is good for eye health and flavonoids which help reduce cancer risks. And of course, they taste gorgeous!
One of the useful things about using celeriac in soup is it gives a creamy texture when blended, similar to potato but with less of the starchy carbs, which some people like to avoid, but still lots of fibre. On top of that, there’s an extra creamy element in this soup that gives a plant protein boost too – butter beans. Which of course add even more fibre, so this really is a gut loving recipe.
You may wonder why I’m so keen on promoting gut health. Well, it really is one of the key basis of overall health and if your gut is struggling, then the rest of you will be too. As more and more is discovered about the mutually beneficial relationship between gut bacteria and their host (us), it’s clear to see that there’s so much more going on down there than we thought.
For most of us in the Western world, gut health is skewed, and having an unbalanced microbiome is more prevalent that balance. And this is reflected in the level of chronic health problems being faced. But the gut can be changed for the better, which is why I’m going to be starting a gut reset programme in January. Full of great food, useful information and practical exercises, this 28 day programme will really help clear the crap and get you more balanced for 2022.
I’ll share more information soon, but if you want to be the first to hear, then send me a message here.
I hope you enjoy this tasty soup – do let me know if you make it and what you thought. Enjoy!
Leek and celeriac soup
Ingredients
- 2 medium leeks rinsed, trimmed and shredded
- 2 medium celery sticks rinsed and finely chopped
- 1/2 medium celeriac peeled and chopped into small dice
- 2 cloves garlic finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- pinch celery salt
- 400 grams tin butter beans (or other white beans) drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
- cold pressed flaxseed oil to garnish optional
- 2 tbsp chopped cooked chestnuts to garnish optional
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of water in the base of a large saucepan. Add the leeks, celery and celeriac along with a pinch of salt and sauté over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time so they don't stick.
- Add the garlic and a little more water if needed and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the herbs and pour in enough stock to cover all the veggies. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on until the veg are soft.
- Add the drained beans and celery salt to pan, along with more stock so everything is covered. Simmer for another 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes. Blend to smooth using a stick blender, adding the rest of the stock if the soup is too thick.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with a glug of flaxseed oil and/or an extra pinch of celery salt and/or a sprinkle of chopped chestnuts.
Thank you for this recipe. I had homemade bone broth on hand and used it as the liquid. The soup was rich and delicious! Thanks again, lovely site!
So glad you enjoyed it!