This is not an ordinary celery soup. It is an elegant, velvety, and deeply flavored composition that perfectly fits the elevated mood of a Christmas Eve dinner. Roasting the celery and pear brings out their natural sweetness and nutty notes, which traditional cooking often hides. Celery, often underrated, becomes the star here, creating a creamy base with an earthy aroma. The sweetness of the pear perfectly balances its flavor, while the addition of toasted walnuts introduces a crunchy texture and an intense, deep aftertaste. The soup has a beautiful, creamy ivory color, and served with a few drops of walnut oil and a sprig of thyme, it looks incredibly appetizing. This is a proposal that will surprise guests with a modern approach to traditional ingredients, while being a light and warming dish, perfect as the first of the twelve Christmas Eve dishes.
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Preheat the oven to 200°C with the convection function (or 220°C without convection). Prepare a large baking tray and line it with parchment paper. The paper will prevent the vegetables from sticking, and the tray will be easier to clean.
Prepare the celery root. Cut off the top and bottom of the bulb so that it stands stable on the cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice off the thick, uneven skin from top to bottom, rotating the celery root. Then, cut the flesh into even cubes about 2 cm on each side. Uniform cube size will ensure even roasting.
Peel the pears, remove the cores using a small spoon or knife, and cut them into cubes similar in size to the celery. Peel the onion and cut it into large cubes. Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole.
In a large bowl, place the chopped celery, pear, onion, and whole garlic cloves. Drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix thoroughly with your hands to ensure each piece of vegetable is coated with oil and seasonings. Spread the vegetables in an even, single layer on the prepared baking sheet. If using, add sprigs of thyme. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and slightly browned at the edges.
In a large pot with a thick bottom (about 4-5 liters capacity), melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the roasted vegetables to the pot (remember to remove the thyme sprigs if you used them). Sauté everything together for about 2-3 minutes, stirring to combine the flavors.
Pour the vegetables with hot vegetable broth. The broth should cover the vegetables. Increase the heat and bring everything to a boil. Then reduce the heat to the minimum, cover the pot, and cook for about 15 minutes. This time will allow the flavors to fully combine.
Remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until you achieve a perfectly smooth, velvety consistency. Move the blender up and down and around the entire pot to ensure there are no lumps. This may take 2-3 minutes.
Place the pot back on low heat. Pour in the heavy cream, add freshly grated nutmeg, and stir. Heat the soup for 2-3 minutes, but do not bring it to a boil to prevent the cream from curdling. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Prepare the nuts for decoration. In a dry, small skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until they start to smell fragrant and lightly brown. Be careful not to burn them, as they will become bitter. Remove from the skillet and coarsely chop with a knife.
Celery root was cultivated as early as in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, but initially mainly for medicinal and... decorative purposes! Its leaves were used to crown the heads of the winners of the games. It likely made its way into Polish cuisine thanks to Queen Bona and has been a key ingredient in vegetable mixtures for centuries, serving as a base for many traditional soups and broths.
Ladle the hot soup into deep bowls or cups. Place a teaspoon of coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts in the center of each serving. If you are using optional ingredients, drizzle the soup with a few drops of walnut oil and garnish with a small, fresh sprig of thyme. The soup tastes great served with garlic croutons, cream puffs, or a piece of crispy baguette.
The soup can be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat it over low heat, slowly, without bringing it to a boil, to avoid changing its consistency. The soup can also be frozen, but it is best to do this before adding cream, as dairy can separate after thawing. After thawing, simply heat the soup and only then add the cream.
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