Celery Root Soup with Green Apple Bacon Slaw

Late November’s chill brings the need to provide warmth at our tables! It also brings root vegetables–such as parsnips, yams, turnips, celery root– and fresh apples into our pantries.

Celery root (also known as Celeriac), not the prettiest vegetable in the pantry, has a celery aroma. Still, the flavor is a cross between celery and parsley. This bulbous vegetable is harvested in the fall and is widely available in most markets through the winter. It has a rough light-brown skin and must be peeled with a knife. Inside you will find a creamy white soft flesh that is easy to dice or slice.

Celery root will live in a cool environment for a whopping six to eight months! I know this to be true because I accidentally proved this factoid when I found one I used for a Thanksgiving recipe hanging in a mesh bag on my pantry door in July, and it was perfect.

When shopping for celery root, you should look for one the size of a softball. A smaller size will not give you an excellent yield as you lose some of the meat in the peeling process. Also, make sure that the vegetable is firm and has a substantial weight when you pick it up. If it’s spongy or light, that means that you have found one past its prime, and it has dried out.