CELERY ROOT & PINK LADY APPLE SOUP WITH YOGURT, TOASTED HAZELNUTS & MICROGREENS

In New York, it's been a cold, cold winter this year with no end in sight.  Just a few days ago it snowed again, just 24 hours after the "first day of Spring." While I've been subsisting off brothy, meaty soups (obviously comforting in freezing temps), I'm searching for something a little brighter.  This soup is just hearty enough for a cold night, but has the freshness of Springtime – or more specifically, Spring weather - is hopefully just around the corner.  

If you've never cooked with celery root (or celeriac) – this is your time.  It's a root vegetable with the essence of Spring.  I know it appears pretty gnarly on the surface, but once you shed its knobby skin, it has such a light, fragrant celery taste that anyone would love.  Enjoy this soup warm with good, crusty bread.

CELERY ROOT & PINK LADY APPLE SOUP WITH YOGURT, TOASTED HAZELNUTS & MICROGREENS (Gluten-free, grain-free, vegan opt.)

SERVES 6-8

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 leek, cut into half-moons
  • 1 small sweet onion, roughly chopped
  • 2-3 pink lady or honey crisp apples, peeled & diced
  • 1 3/4 lb. celeriac, peeled and diced (about 4 cups chopped)
  • 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3-4 sprigs of thyme
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, or about 1/2 can
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
  • Freshly ground white pepper
  • Greek yogurt, to serve
  • Microgreens, to serve

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Heat a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat with olive oil.  Add garlic, onion, leek, apple, celery root and parsnip.  Sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until onions and leeks begin to soften.  Stir in bay leaves, thyme, nutmeg, broth and coconut milk. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer over low heat until celery root, apples & parsnips are completely softened.  Season as you go with sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper.

In the meantime, add hazelnuts to a small baking sheet.  Cook for 10-12 minutes or until your kitchen smells nutty and hazelnut skins begin to flake off.  Set aside to cool.  Once hazelnuts are cool enough to touch, rub them between your hands to remove skins (this step can be skipped, but the hazelnut skins will flake off easily and no one wants that in their soup!).  Once most of the skins are removed, roughly chop and set aside.

Once soup is soft, use a hand blender or actual blender to puree soup until smooth.  Season each bowl with flaky sea salt, white pepper and hazelnuts.  Then top with a dollop of yogurt and a handful of microgreens.  Serve immediately. 

This post was originally shot for H&M !

RAW KALE CAESAR WITH BEET MICROGREENS, AVOCADO & POACHED EGG

Raw kale caesars are the one thing I never tire of.   I pretty much order them whenever they're offered.   At home, I like mine with a few hippie add-ons and poached egg for breakfast (or really, anytime of day). This almond caesar dressing is naturally dairy-free, but has the bold, zingy flavor that every caesar needs. You'll want to put it on everything - and I won't stop you.

RAW KALE CAESAR WITH BEET MICROGREENS, AVOCADO & POACHED EGG (Gluten & grain-free, Vegan) SERVES 2

  • 1 large bunch of kale, washed, stemmed & torn
  • A pinch of flaky sea salt
  • 1 lemon
  • 4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 avocado, cubed
  • 1/4 cup tablespoons hempseeds
  • A good handful of microgreens

RAW ALMOND CAESAR DRESSING (Vegan, dairy-free) Makes about 2/3 cup

  • 1/2-2/3 cup almonds, soaked for 4-6 hours
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 3 small lemons, juice + zest
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1 tablespoon caper brine (or olive juice brine)
  • 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Freshly cracked pepper
  • In a large mixing bowl, massage the juice of one lemon into kale.  Sprinkle with sea salt and set aside.

Then, make almond dressing: After soaking almond, rinse and drain well.  Add to high-speed blender or food processor with the following five ingredients.  Blend ingredients well, then stream in olive oil until desired texture.  Season with sea salt and pepper.

Mix kale together with sliced radish, avocado and microgreens and hempseeds.  Toss in desired amount of dressing (it's on the thicker side, so use your hands to massage it in).  

To poach eggs: Fill a large saucepan with water and a good splash of white vinegar.  Over high heat, let the temperature come until you begin to see tiny bubbles around the rim.  Plop in your eggs (one at a time, if you’re nervous).  Let the eggs sit for about 30 seconds, then slowly stir making sure the egg white wraps around the yolk.  If your egg gets stuck on the bottom of the pan, don’t fret, use a silicon spatula to carefully remove it.  Let cook until egg whites just begin to firm (or set), 

For more MORNING MEALS head over to CAMILLE STYLES!