Celery Root Bisque With Thyme Croutons - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup shallot, coarsely chopped (2 lbs. celery roots (celeriac)
10 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 cups low sodium chicken broth, low-salt
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery; cover and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add shallots; saute uncovered 3 minutes. Stir in celery root cubes and potato, then broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme. Increase heat to high; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batches, transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate.).
Stir cream into soup and bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with additional chopped thyme and serve.