Celeriac and Pear Soup

For two weeks in a row in my CFA box was this ugly weird root. It was a celeriac root. Bulb like, hairy, brown, a crazy looking, ugly thing. Teresa, the farm woman, tells me to make soup with it. OK, I can do that. I search my favorite - All recipes- for a likely experiment.
The recipe I found used root veggies and onions that I had on hand, as well a the pears that are in season right now, and herbs that I have on hand in the garden. The result was a mild flavored soup with a lovely perfume scent.
For the celeriac, I needed to peel it and get the brown stuff off. Underneath all the root hair and skin is a white, crunch root with a mild celery flavor. It can be eaten cooked or raw. The root that had been in my fridge for almost 2 weeks was a bit soft, but fine for soup.
As for nutrition, celeriac is a good source of potassium, magnesium and fiber. It is low in carbohydrate - 1 cup cooked has 8 grams, and low in calories - 42 calories per cup. It is a type of celery that is cultivated for the root. The recipe called for celery stalks, I just used the tops of the celeriac.

Celeriac and Pear Soup

3 tbsp transfat free margarine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 onion, chopped
2-4 celeriac roots, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped or top of celeriac
1 large potato, peeled and cubed (potato thickens the soup)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth - reduced sodium
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried tarragon (or to taste0
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
2-3 pears- peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup light cream

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in garlic, shallot and onion, C Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. As this is cooking, chop remaining vegetables and add to pot. Add broth and herbs. Stir in pears. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Remove from heat. Puree soup with immersion blender. Add cream and gently reheat if needed. Adjust seasonings if needed.
Makes about 8 servings.