The celeriac harvest is just coming in! If you’re not familiar with celeriac, it’s a celery root. It’s a round knobby root, that just requires peeling to get to the smooth white interior. The taste is similar to celery, so you can use it in any recipes that call for celery. Try making a mirepoix with celeriac in place of celery for the base of a soup or stew. This soup is hearty and gets it’s flavor from local Italian Sausage, onions, and garlic with celeriac and cabbage. Chickpeas add a nice texture, and for a vegetarian version just omit the sausage and sub vegetarian stock. This recipe will make a large batch of soup, so I’m including the measurements for a half batch that would serve 4 – 6 nicely. The large version would be great to make on a Sunday afternoon, you can enjoy the leftovers for lunch and another meal throughout the week.
I used a sweet Italian sausage from Autumn’s Harvest Farm with a pinch of crushed red pepper, and their spicy version would also be great. Remove the tough skin of the celeriac, with a sharp knife and cut into small cubes. Dice the onion, mince the garlic and you’re ready. Start by removing the sausage from the casing and browning it in the soup pot. Set aside and cook the veggies in the pan. The simmer everything until done. Dinner will be ready in no time.
Celeriac & Cabbage Soup with Chickpeas & Sausage (serves 8)
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 small or 1 large celeriac, peeled and diced
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
1 lb Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
10 cups chicken stock
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
1/4 cup or more chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Remove the sausage from the casing. Brown over medium heat in one tablespoon of the oil, using a spatula to break it into small crumbles. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil and sauté the onions garlic, and celeriac with as big of a pinch of crushed red pepper as you like. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 – 10 minutes until the celeriac starts to soften. Add the apple cider vinegar, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom. Add the chickpeas, cabbage, cooked sausage, and stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes until cabbage and celeriac are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with fresh parsley and additional crushed red pepper if desired.
To Serve Four:
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 small celeriac, peeled and diced
1 cup cooked or canned chickpea
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1 garlic cloves
1/2 onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
5 cups chicken stock
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
1/4 cup or more chopped fresh parsley for garnish
