Apple & Celeriac Soup with Crispy Bacon Recipe

Merging the creamy, earthiness of celeriac with a tang of apple and an irresistibly crunchy topping, this soup is as simple to make as it is delicious to eat. It offers an excellent example of how to effortlessly reduce the amount of meat that you are eating, without compromising at all on flavour or filling power.

Ingredients

For the soup
3

Apples, peeled, cored and quartered
A large knob of

Grass fed butter
2

Onions, chopped
A pinch of

Sea salt
3

Bay leaves
4

Garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1

Celeriac, peeled and cut into roughly 2cm chunks
2

Potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 2cm chunks
A few sprigs of

Rosemary, leaves picked
A few sprigs of

Thyme, leaves picked
2-3

Sage leaves
1 litre

Chicken stock
A good pinch

Freshly ground black pepper
For the topping
6

Smoked streaky bacon rashers, chopped
A drizzle

Olive oil
2

Slices of sourdough toast
3 tablespoons

Crème fraîche
6

Sage leaves, chopped

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Method

In a large casserole dish add a large knob of butter along with the apples and fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they have browned and beautifully caremalised. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apple pieces to a plate and set to one side.
To the pan add a little more butter along with the onions, salt, garlic and bay leaves. Cook for around 6-7 minutes until the onions have become translucent.
Add the celeriac, potatoes, caremalised apples, herbs, and if you need to, more butter. Continue to cook until the veg has softened, this may take about 7 minutes.
Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the vegetables for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Then blend the soup with a stick blender until very smooth (for an even more velvety soup, pass it through a fine sieve into a clean bowl). Add a little extra water if necessary until the right consistency is reached. Alternatively, allow the soup to cool for a while and then blend in a food processor until smooth and return to the pan.
Check the seasoning and set to one side while you make the garnish.
To a frying pan add the bacon along with a little oil and begin to fry. Once the fat has begun to render out, add the sourdough croutons and allow them to soak up and cook in the bacon fat. Then add the sage leaves and allow everything to crisp and become beautifully golden.
Transfer the soup to a bowl, drizzle in the crème fraiche and top with the crispy bacon, sage and sourdough croutons.