40minutes
Serves 6
INGREDIENT
olive oil
onion 1 large, chopped
bay leaf 1
vegetable stock 900 ml
celeriac 1
double cream 60 ml
cheddar 100g, cubed
CROUTONS
thick white bread 2slices
butter, softened
thyme1 sprig plus a fewleaves for decoration
HOW TO COOK CELERIAC AND CHEDDAR SOUP WITH THYME CROUTONS
■ Heat some olive oil in apanand add the onion, stir and fry gently until the onion softens but doesn’t brown. Add the bay leaf and stock and bring to a simmer. Peel and chop the celeriac working as fast as you can, and putting each bit you have chopped straight into the hot stock so it doesn’t discolour. Simmer until the celeriac is tender, about 15 minutes, then add the cream, take out th ebay leaf and purée the soup with a stick blender. Pour it through a sieve into a clean pan, bring back to a simmer and add the cheddar.Take off the heat.
■ Meanwhile, butter the bread on one side, scatter the leaves off the thyme onto one side and make a sandwich. Butter the outsides of the bread and cut the sandwich into cubes, removing any crusts. Put them into a frying pan and fry until golden, turn over and fry the other side. Serve the soup with the croutons and some thyme.
■ PERSERVING 234 kcals, protein 8g, carbs 14.2g, fat 16.2g, sat fat9.2g, fibre5.7g, salt0.8g
