Creamy Celeriac Soup with Bacon (Printable)

Velvety celeriac blended with cream, topped with crispy bacon. A savory European comfort bowl in 50 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large celeriac (approximately 1.5 lb), peeled and diced
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
04 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
06 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

→ Seasonings

07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
09 - Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, optional

→ Garnish

10 - 4 slices bacon
11 - Chopped fresh chives or parsley, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until soft and translucent, approximately 4 minutes.
02 - Add celeriac and potato to the pot. Stir to coat with butter and cook for 3 minutes.
03 - Pour in stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes until vegetables are very tender.
04 - While soup simmers, place bacon slices in a cold, dry skillet. Cook over medium heat until crispy, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels and crumble or leave whole.
05 - Remove soup from heat. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth, or carefully process in batches using a blender.
06 - Stir in cream and a pinch of nutmeg, season with salt and pepper. Gently reheat if needed, but do not boil.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with crispy bacon and a sprinkle of chives or parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant-quality comfort without any fussy technique or special equipment.
  • The bacon adds an unexpected savory note that makes people ask for seconds before they even realize what they're eating.
  • This soup quietly becomes your go-to dinner when you're tired but want something that feels intentional and warming.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of sautéing the onion and garlic first—that's where real flavor develops, not in the long simmer that follows.
  • The bacon is not optional; it transforms this from a nice vegetable soup into something people actually crave, so plan to cook it even if you're serving a vegetarian version to someone else.
03 -
  • Start with a cold skillet when cooking bacon so it renders slowly and evenly, preventing it from curling up or burning in spots.
  • If you're nervous about blending hot soup, let it cool for 10 minutes first or work in smaller batches—it's a safety thing and also gives you more control over the texture.
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