Celery-Root Soup with Bacon and Green Apple

A creamy and comforting soup featuring tender celery root, crispy bacon, and fresh Granny Smith apple. This elegant soup combines earthy celery root with smoky bacon and is topped with a refreshing apple-celery garnish.

4 servings

1 hr 31 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•3 medium leeks
•3 slices bacon
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1½ lb celery root
•3 cups water
•1¾ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
•1 whole Granny Smith apple
•¾ rib celery
•⅓ cup inner celery leaves
•1 teaspoon salt
•¼ teaspoon black pepper
•½ cup half-and-half
•1 piece adjustable-blade slicer

Cooking Instructions

1.
Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating them, then lift out onto paper towels and pat dry.
10 min
2.
Cook bacon in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.
8 min
3.
Pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot, then add oil and cook leeks over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add celery root and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add water and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until celery root is very tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
48 min
4.
While soup simmers, thinly slice apple lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer, working around core, then cut slices into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife. Gently toss with celery and celery leaves.
10 min
5.
Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a bowl. Return soup to cleaned pot. (If soup is too thick, thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water.) Stir in salt, pepper, and half-and-half and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Season with salt, then divide among 4 bowls and top with apple-celery mixture and coarsely crumbled bacon.
15 min

Ingredients

•3 medium leeks

•3 slices bacon

•1 tablespoon olive oil

•1½ lb celery root

•3 cups water

•1¾ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

•1 whole Granny Smith apple

•¾ rib celery

•⅓ cup inner celery leaves

•1 teaspoon salt

•¼ teaspoon black pepper

•½ cup half-and-half

•1 piece adjustable-blade slicer

Cooking Instructions

Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating them, then lift out onto paper towels and pat dry.

10 min

Cook bacon in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.

8 min

Pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from pot, then add oil and cook leeks over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add celery root and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add water and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until celery root is very tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

48 min

While soup simmers, thinly slice apple lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer, working around core, then cut slices into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife. Gently toss with celery and celery leaves.

10 min

Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a bowl. Return soup to cleaned pot. (If soup is too thick, thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water.) Stir in salt, pepper, and half-and-half and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Season with salt, then divide among 4 bowls and top with apple-celery mixture and coarsely crumbled bacon.

15 min