I made a completely fortuitous discovery on my kitchen counter last weekend. I had made a light soup of celery root, leeks, and a little potato for texture and was about to serve it for lunch. It seemed a little flat but I was reluctant to add salt or cream. I think oranges go well with celery root, so I thought of grating some orange rind on top and spooning in a little orange juice. While that was good, the combination still wasn’t spunky enough. My husband has been working his way through a jar of chunky orange marmalade that was sitting there on the counter next to the soup bowl. So in went a big spoonful. Yes! That’s it. The perfect combination… earthy, tart, refreshing, delicious.
Celery Root Soup (serves 4)
1 leek, cleaned and chopped (or a small yellow onion)
1 medium-large celery root (celeriac), peeled and cubed
1-2 potatoes, peeled and cubes
1 qt chicken broth, vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste
Orange marmalade, a spoonful per bowl (optional)
Place all ingredients, expect for the marmalade and seasonings, in a deep pot, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until soft and thoroughly cooked. Cool slightly, then puree until smooth. Add seasonings (cream, salt and pepper, herbs, or, like I did, a dollop of marmalade).
Categories: Celery and celeriac, Soup
PROSPECT THE PANTRY 
I made a celery root soup this winter and it was really good. The recipe I used suggested making marmalade and serving it on toast on the side of the soup. So good. But I like that this just puts it right into the soup.
I like the idea of marmalade toast served alongside. Thanks for mentioning it. I bet you could make some terrific orange-flavored croutons that way. Other jams would probably work too. I’m always looking for ways to use up the fruits of my canning adventures. I added a spoonful of my curried onion jam to squash soup a couple months ago, and it was really delicious. Karen
What a fantastic idea. I never quite make it through all my jars of sweets, so this is a welcome idea!