Pic of Celeriac and chestnut soup with black pudding and sage

Celeriac and chestnut soup with black pudding and sage

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Soups & stews

Celeriac and chestnut soup with black pudding and sage

Soup Serves 4 50 min
We've used a soffrito-style base for this recipe: gently fried onion, celery and carrot, giving a strong, savoury base. Chestnuts add warmth and celeriac earthy sweetness, making the kind of invigorating fare that's lovely to have on cold evening. Serve with warm bread and if you're vegetarian, just omit the black pudding.

Ingredients

  • oil for frying, e.g. vegetable or sunflower
  • 1 large onion or leek, finely sliced
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
  • 1 celeriac, peeled and diced
  • 1.2 litres veg stock (or a bouillon stock cube and water)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 250g cooked chestnuts
  • 150ml double cream
  • 200g black pudding, chopped into bite-sized pieces or crumbled (good black pudding tends to be crumbly when cooked anyway)
  • a few sage leaves
  • salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 40 min

  • Step 1

    Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion or leek, celery and carrot and fry on a gentle heat, stirring every now and then to stop it catching for 8 minutes to soften the veg. Add the garlic and celeriac and stir for 2 minutes. Add the stock, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.

  • Step 2

    Bring the heat up to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add the chestnuts and cook for another 5 minutes; the celeriac should be tender, but cook for a few more minutes if you need to.

  • Step 3

    Blitz in a food processor or blender until smooth. Put back in the same pan, add the cream and gently reheat while you cook the black pudding and sage leaves.

  • Step 4

    Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Add the black pudding and fry until cooked through, it will start to look a black colour.

  • Step 5

    Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Wipe the pan clean with kitchen paper or quickly rinse and dry it, then add a good layer of oil and when hot, add the sage leaves and fry for about 30 seconds or so until they just start to crisp up.

  • Step 6

    Serve the soup into bowls, sprinkling over the black pudding and sage leaves.