This creamy vegan celeriac and fennel potato soup with smoky shiitakes is super comforting and packed with flavor! Fennel and shallots are roasted until caramelized then blended with cooked potatoes, celeriac, and coconut milk. Go the extra step and garnish each bowl with some vegan (or traditional) cheddar cheese shreds along with the smoky shiitake mushrooms.
Celeriac (celery root) is one of my favorite winter/spring veggies! Though it might look ugly or unassuming on the outside, the inside has an amazing sweet and mellow celery flavor. You can eat it raw in salads (love it shaved in this simple salad!) but it’s also really great in this super cozy soup. I paired it with some yellow potatoes and fennel then topped each bowl with browned shiitake mushrooms. You can go an extra step and garnish the bowls with some vegan or traditional cheddar cheese shreds but I’ll leave that entirely up to you! If your fennel has the fronds attached, they make a great garnish for the soup. I hope you enjoy this one!
Notes on Ingredients and Subs
If you dont have celeriac but want a similar flavor, feel free to use 2 large stalks of celery in its place. Or, sub in a small crown of broccoli for a different flavor profile. I really love the smoky shiitakes because they add a sort of plant-based bacon-y flavor. If you want to save a little time, you can fry up some of your favorite plant-based bacon instead. I love the buttery flavor of yellow potatoes here but you can also use 1 medium russet potato in their place. If you’re not vegan, feel free to use 1 3/4 cups milk or cream in place of the coconut milk.
Make the Most of Your Time in the Kitchen
To add layers of flavor to the soup, the fennel and shallot are roasted in the oven. Since they have to roast for about 25-30 minutes, this will give you enough time to cook the potatoes and celeriac and the smoky shiitakes. This helps cut down on the overall cook time! When it comes to blending the soup, feel free to use an immersion blender to cut down on the amount of dirty dishes and use the same pot the potatoes and celeriac were cooked in.
Print
Celeriac and Fennel Potato Soup with Smoky Shiitakes (vegan)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2–3 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Description
This creamy vegan celeriac and fennel potato soup with smoky shiitakes is super comforting and packed with flavor! Fennel and shallots are roasted until caramelized then blended with cooked potatoes, celeriac, and coconut milk. Go the extra step and garnish each bowl with some vegan (or traditional) cheddar cheese shreds along with the smoky shiitake mushrooms.
Ingredients
- 1 medium fennel bulb
- 1 large shallot
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 small yellow potatoes
- 1 medium celeriac
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full fat coconut milk
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- sea salt, to taste
- 4 oucnes shiitake mushrooms
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon tamari, or soy sauce
- Fennel fronds, optional for garnish
- shredded cheddar cheese, regular or vegan, optional for garnish
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut your fennel in half legthwise. Remove the core from each half (the tough part at the root end) then give the fennel a rough dice. Cut your shallot into a rough dice also. Put the diced fennel and shallot on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle everything with a pinch of salt then toss to coat. Roast the fennel and shallot at 425 for about 25-30 min or until caramelized around the edges and tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
While the fennel and shallots are roasting, dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes (this will be roughly 2 1/2 to 3 cups total). Add the diced potatoes to a large stock pot. Cut away the rough skin of the celeriac then cut it into a rough 1-inch cubes as well. Add the celeriac to the pot with the potatoes, then cover the vegetables with cool water. The level of water should be at least an inch above the vegetables. Set the pot on a burner over medium high heat. Bring everything to a boil, then boil for about 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes and celeriac are fork-tender. Strain and rinse the cooked potatoes and celeriac under cool water.
Add the coconut milk, roasted fennel and shallot, vegetable bouillon cube, and the nutritional yeast to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Add potatoes and celeriac and pulse a few times to incorporate them into the soup. You want to pulse instead of blending so that you keep the potato starches from developing (which will yield a weird gluey texture).
Add the soup back to the stock pot and warm it to your liking. Give it a taste and season with salt as needed.
While the soup warms, make the smoky shiitakes. Remove and discard/compost the stems of the mushrooms then cut them into slices roughly 1/4-inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to large skillet set over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms along with the granulated garlic, smoked paprika, and tamari or soy sauce. Stir to combine, then allow the mushrooms to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
To serve, top each bowl of soup with some of the smoky shiitakes. You can also garnish with some of the fennel fronds if you like or some shredded vegan or regular cheddar cheese.
Notes
- If you don’t have access to celeriac, you can use 1-2 large stalks of celery in its place. Or, you can sub in a small crown of broccoli.
- Leftover soup and mushrooms can be stored separately in the fridge. Reheat the soup and mushrooms on the stove. Make sure to enjoy leftovers within 5 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, soup
[…] Celeriac and Fennel Potato Soup with Smoky Shiitakes […]