Roasted Celery Root and Fennel Soup
Roasted Celery Root + Fennel Soup
Roast:
1 whole celery root ( peeled and cubed/large dice size pieces)
1 whole fennel bulb sliced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried marjoram
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Peel and cut up celery root. Slice fennel bulb in ¼ inch thick half moons strips. Toss all the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl ( save the hairy tops for salad and garnish if you like. Also good for making broth). Pour out veggies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20-25 mins. Rotate pan midway through. Edges of veggies should be browned and flesh tender. Some fennel may be a little crispy but delish when blended in the soup adding depth to the whole bowl. If you have pieces of fennel that seem to be too crispy you can remove them and save for topping the soup when serving if you like or toss them out. When done, set aside and let cool. Taste before adding to the soup too :)
Cashew Cream
1 cup raw cashews
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp lemon juice
½ cup water
Directions:
Soak raw cashews ( or walnuts if you prefer) in filtered water for two hours. Rinse and blend in high speed blender cashews, water, sea salt and lemon juice until it is very smooth. Measure out ½ cup cashew cream to add at the end of cooking the soup. Save the remainder for another meal that week or freeze it for another meal. Saves time too.
Soup Broth
2 tbsp butter
2 leeks tops and bottoms cleaned and chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups veg broth
5 cups of water
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup of cashew cream added at the end
Celery Root
Directions
Heat a large soup pot on medium high. After about 1 min add two tablespoons of vegan butter or veg oil like grape-seed if you prefer. When butter is melting and starting to sizzle a little add chopped leeks and minced garlic. Stir and lower heat just a bit. Next add sprigs of thyme and stir, let this cook for about a minute so the oils from the thyme can be released into the butter, leek and garlic mix.
Add vegetable broth, water, salt and pepper. Heat on medium high. When the water starts to roll a little lower heat a bit and add the wine. When it heats to a slow boiling, lower the heat to low and simmer for 30 mins.
While soup is simmering you can blend the cashew cream. After 30 mins cooking add the roasted vegetables and let them chill together for 10 mins with the lid on. After 10 mins of cooling carefully remove the stems of thyme and transfer the soup ( broth, veggies and cashew cream) to the blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add extra water if you want to thin the soup out a little. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Fry up extra onion or shallots and serve on top or keep it simple with fennel hair and black pepper.
Immune Support Broth
Ingredients
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried marjoram
Rosemary sprig ( 1-2)
3 cloves of garlic ( smashed)
1 tbsp fresh ginger (smashed)
1 yellow onion sliced in quarters
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Sea salt
1 tsp Astrallugus
6 cups of water
Directions: Add all ingredients to a large pot and heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hr. Cool and then strain the liquid into a mason jar for soup or sautés or stews that week. You can divide it and freeze some too. It makes about 4 ish cups. You can double this recipe too.
Broth Magic:
Herbs, mushrooms and astragalus root are all so good for nourishing our immune system. It is Important to nourish our immune system and gut for winter colds, flu and pandemics. It is not a cure all, but a supporter. We can use nutrient rich broths to build a foundational support internally. It is not something to go to when you are in the midst of being congested or sick- this is important to note, the mushrooms and astragalus work on things internally, supporting our fighter cells so when we are experiencing a virus we have support and protection. When we are in the midst of an infection we want expectorant broths and teas with ingredients like lemon, garlic, ginger and bay leaves or chicken soup. They offer nourishment and help move things up and out, versus medicinal mushrooms and astragalus focus on internally strengthening. Plants all have different energetics and actions of “working” with our body system. Ancestrally there are many different broths and immune care based on culture and region and more. If you are able to, make a broth with herbs or roots your ancestors would use. Find a family recipe for cold cures and make it this season. Swap recipes with friends. We all have different lineages of support we can look to and if not we can recreate them with loving intention and respect using what may grow or be available to us. If you can, make broth’s your fall self care ritual. Share them with your friends and neighbors. Add them to stews. Experiment with flavors or simmering them for longer and concentrating the flavors down. Make bone broth from your local butcher or farm. Freeze batches for quicker meals in the winter.
This broth is a delicious supporter and builder, the strong legs, the holder, the training if you want to think of it that way. Make sure to keep this in mind when working with different broths/immune and viral/cold care. Also! This broth is not a replacement for needed medicine or vaccines, especially for Flu and COVID. Different bodies and communities need different care and tools. We can do lots of things- we can tend to our immune system, wear masks when rates are high inside or when asked to wear a mask or get tested before events or hang out’s and we can make our broths and teas. All are acts of love. Getting vaccinated and boosted are ways to protect each other and keep our whole community safe. Magic and science and community care is a powerful triangle of alignment for our collective immune systems. Plants work with us in different ways. We must not rely fully on themas our sole healer and protector-I think they would agree-especially as we are on stolen land and plants are over-foraged and over-consumed ect. Many plants grow in integrated or interdependent and symbiotic relationships above and below ground as well as being part of larger eco-systems. They work together, nourished and supported by different elements and connected systems. We are too. SO immune broths and vaccinations are part of co-caring for our systems and others in our eco-system of communities. We need each other so much.
Lastly, make sure to check contraindications for astragalus or any herbal medicine you consume. You can check in with you health care practitioners if needed too. If you cannot consume or do have access to astragalus you can make this broth with out it and it will still be supportive and delicious using herbs, onions and garlic. I love to keep my pantry stocked with dried shiitake mushrooms for quick broths in soups and stews or dashi when making ramen. Find them bulk or at the store. Rosemary and thyme and marjoram offer protection, immune support and olfactory aromatic benefits and energetic healing. I love thyme and ginger tea this time of year and burning dried rosemary for clearing. If you do make this broth- make it a ritual. Light a candle, put on some music or a podcast, maybe do a dance as you cook stir your brew, give thanks to the plants for their support, offer a prayer to the broth for nourishment and healing, breathe in the divine smells emerging and enjoy. .
The Plant Magic:
This soup is grounding and seasonally supportive for our energy levels, blood and immune system. Celery root offers fiber, potassium, magnesium and more. It asks us to take the time to find the beauty and process, to taste slowly and deeply. It is very scorpio energy. Let the earth hold you. Fennel is good for ease and wishes, loving on our hearts and digestive system. Find both at local farmers markets this time of year if you can. I love both roasted and added to salads or in this soup. Let it feed the parts of your bones and systems that need to feel held and rooted even in wild weirdness. Celery root reminds us of the magic of growing deep and the power of above and below -celery root is the root of celery, we eat celery in spring/ summer and celery root comes out for fall and winter. Make this soup for yourself, your loves, your moon circle, Samhain ceremony or any time you want a warm hug from a root vegetable.
Root vegetables can be tender anchors in scorpio/ eclipse season, bringing us back down to our rooted center. Celery root helps move things that are stagnant in our bodies thanks to it’s high fiber and can be helpful for seasonal shifts. It is also rich in Vitamin K, nourishing our bones, our support system in so many ways. Slow roasting releases the sweetness of the herbs and the fennel and celery root becomes softer. The marjoram and thyme offer ease. Make sure to waft over the broth and take a slow inhale. Your kitchen will small like fall. The blending of this soup at the end makes the flavors merge in beautiful ways and offers nutrient rich gentleness for sensitive tummies and palates. Slurp slowly and dip your bread with each bite if you like. I love this soup with a bitter green salad, rosemary sourdough bread and an Austrian Orange wine from my wine club. Leftovers were so nice too.
