Roasted Celery and Potato Soup | Tried and True Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you cook celery before adding to soup? ›

While certain vegetables can work just fine added directly to simmering soups and stews (say, carrots and celery), other vegetables (onions, garlic, and the like) will almost always need at least a brief sweat in a fat-based liquid before adding the remaining ingredients.

Celery stalks often play a supporting (albeit crucial) role in comforting soups and holiday sides, but their sharp herbal flavor takes center stage in this cream of celery soup recipe. To coax the most flavor out of the veg, sauté the chopped celery with a potato and onion in plenty of butter until soft and tender.

Why isn't my potato soup creamy? Most creamy soups require you to add dairy of some sort into it. If you're finding your soup is too thin adding milk, add in cream instead, or whole milk.

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, kale/chard/broccoli rabe stems, broccoli stalks, cabbage—can get added early: They take a while to lose their bite. But quick-cooking things—asparagus, peas, thinly sliced carrots and celery, leaves, small florets—should be saved for the end.

Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry.

Opt for Cornstarch or Arrowroot

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch or arrowroot with a small amount of cold water to form a slurry. Once the slurry is smooth, gradually pour it into the simmering potato soup. Stir well to ensure the slurry is evenly distributed.

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.

Roasted celery tastes very tender and slightly sweet. It is absolutely delicious and does not have the overly earthy flavor and tough texture of raw celery.

What makes celery taste better? ›

Use Inner Stalks and Leaves

The most tender and mild-tasting parts of celery are the inner stalks and leaves. The outer stalks and base tend to be tougher and more bitter. For a sweeter flavor, juice the inner 4-5 stalks and leaves of bunched celery.

Herbs: Celery can be seasoned with a variety of herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, and dill. Spices: Celery can be paired with spices such as black pepper, paprika, and celery seed. Nuts: Celery can be paired with nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts for added texture and flavour.

Cream cheese can be a delicious and tangy thickener for mashed potatoes so it stands to reason that it can also be used to add body to your favorite silky potato soup recipes — right? The answer is yes. It only works well if you do it carefully, though.

Another option for thickening soup is by using dairy like sour cream or yogurt. Start with a small dollop and stir before checking the consistency and adding more. We recommend using plain yogurt so you don't alter the taste of the soup. You can also use cream if you prefer.

Your potato soup is bland? Try adding a little more salt. That's usually the answer to any issue of blandness, no matter the recipe in question. A basic Appalachian style potato soup uses only a handful of simple ingredients, leaning on milk and water and often bouillon to create the brothy soup base.

Things You Should Know. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add celery and simmer for 10-15 minutes. In a frying pan, cover bite-size pieces of celery with water, cover the pan with a lid, and let steam on medium heat for 5-10 minutes.

Celery can be eaten raw or cooked. Celery brings texture and a mild flavor to salads, hors d'oeuvres, soups, stuffings, stews, and stock. It can be steamed, braised, or sautéed and served as a side dish. Celery tastes best when it comes to harvest in cool weather, late spring, or in autumn.

You should. Traditionally, a mirepoix is made: diced onion, carrot, celery. Cooked SLOWLY in a sauce pan until the start to sweat, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or so, stirring often — then added to the soup.