Truffled Celeriac Velouté with Chestnut Crumble and Crispy Sage

⏱ 50 min · Serves 4

Silky, ivory-pale and deeply savoury, this velouté turns humble celeriac into something worthy of a tasting menu. Sweet roasted chestnuts add nutty texture, crisped sage leaves bring perfume, and a final whisper of truffle oil makes the whole bowl smell like a winter forest.

Per serving: 432 kcal · 8.0g protein · 38.0g carbs · 28.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 large celeriac (about 900g), peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
• 1 medium floury potato (150g), peeled and diced
• 40g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 leek, white part only, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 700ml hot vegetable stock
• 200ml whole milk
• 100ml double cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 strip lemon zest
• Sea salt and white pepper
• 120g cooked peeled chestnuts, roughly crumbled
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for the chestnuts and sage
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 1 tsp honey
• 1½ tsp good truffle oil, plus a few drops to finish
• Optional: 5g fresh black truffle, shaved

Method

1. Melt the butter with 1 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pan over a low heat. Add the leek and garlic with a pinch of salt and sweat gently for 8 minutes until soft but not coloured — you want no browning at all for a pale, elegant soup.
2. Add the celeriac and potato, stir to coat, then pour in the hot stock and milk. Add the bay leaf and lemon zest, bring to a gentle simmer and cook, partly covered, for 20–25 minutes until the celeriac collapses under a spoon.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a small frying pan. Fry the sage leaves for 20–30 seconds until they stop sizzling and turn translucent-crisp; lift onto kitchen paper and salt lightly.
4. In the same oil, fry the crumbled chestnuts over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until golden at the edges. Add the honey and a pinch of salt, toss for 30 seconds until glossy, then tip out to cool and crisp.
5. Fish out the bay leaf and lemon zest from the soup. Blend the soup in batches until completely smooth — at least 90 seconds per batch — then pass through a fine sieve back into the pan for a true velouté texture.
6. Stir in the cream and the 1½ tsp truffle oil, then warm through gently without boiling. Season carefully with salt and white pepper; it should taste sweet, nutty and just saline.
7. Ladle into warm shallow bowls. Scatter with the honeyed chestnuts, top with crispy sage, add a few drops of truffle oil and, if you're feeling generous, shave over fresh black truffle at the table.