Another great fall recipe! What excites me about this one is the celeriac, also known as celery root. I often overlook this bulbous vegetable in the produce department, even though it's as easily prepared as any other root vegetable! It can be roasted, cooked and mashed, or in this case, thrown into a hearty soup. The flavor is very much like celery itself, so if for some reason you can't find it, feel free to sub in a couple of celery stalks.
This chowder can also easily made vegetarian - just skip the step with the bacon and use vegetable stock.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Time: 1 hr 15 min (mostly hands-off time)
Ingredients
3 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup parsnip, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup celeriac, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
a few fresh thyme sprigs
4 cups low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
fresh cracked pepper, 10-15 scrunches
Directions
Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon onto a paper-towel lined plate and set aside. Carefully wipe most of the bacon grease out of the pot (I do this with tongs and a few paper towels).
Melt the butter in the pot. (If you're making this vegetarian, skip the bacon step and start with this one.) Sauté the onions and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrot, parsnip, celeriac, potato, and thyme sprigs; sauté 2 more minutes.
Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add the heavy cream, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper. Allow the chowder to come back to a simmer, and continue cooking, uncovered, until thickened (about 30 minutes). Stir it occasionally, and do not let it boil.
Remove the thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon bits. My cheddar and thyme drop biscuits go really well with this!
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