Bean Soup with Caramelized Onions and Celeriac

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbs. ghee or olive oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions, diced small
  • 6 cups vegetable stock, perferably homemade
  • 1/2 cup dired porcini mushrooms
  • 1 large celeriac bulb, peeled and cut into small dices
  • 3 cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini or great northern (prepare ahead of time)
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, minced
  • sea salt to taste

Steps:

  • Add ghee to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir in onion and coat evenly with ghee, lower heat to medium low and cover. Cook about 30 minutes, until onions are soft, translucent and have released their liquid. Stir occasionally. Remove lid and cook about 15 minutes more, stirring more often to allow liquid to evaporate and onions to caramelize.
  • Meanwhile, prepare stock. In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat 6 cups of vegetable stock just to simmering. Add porcini mushroons and turn off heat but leave pot on the burner. Cover and let mushrooms steep in the warm liquid. 
  • Set a large pot of water on high and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of sea salt to the boiling water and then add the diced celeriac. Allow to cook until just barely tender, about 4 minutes, then remove from the water to a large bowl using a slotting spoon. Drop in the diced carrot and cook until just tender as well. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the celeriac.
  • To finish, strain the porcini pieces from the stock, pressing as much liquid from then as possible, and set aside. As the onions turn golden brown and caramelize, add the remaining par-cooked vegetables to the skillet and stir to incorporate evenly. Cut the porcini into a small dice, if desired, and add to the vegetable blend. Cook vegetables together about 4-5 more minutes to blend. Turn heat back on under the vegetable stock and gently add cooked vegetables and beans. Being careful not to allow the soup to boil, bring the mixture to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes more. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
  • If you would like a creamier soup, hold back one cup of the beans from the soup. In a blender or food processor, puree reserved beans with one cup of bean cooking liquid. Add to the competed soupl and continue with final simmer.