Celeriac & Split Pea Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 celeriac, peeled to the white, diced
1 1/2 cups dried split peas
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon onion powder
5 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 -4 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
5 cups vegetable broth or 5 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Make certain to peel the celeriac down to the white.
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook them until they start to get golden / translucent and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir often to cook them evenly and prevent burning.
Spray non-stick cooking spray into the slow cooker.
Put the onions and garlic and all the other ingredients into the slow cooker, at least 5 quarts in size.
Mix thoroughly before starting the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Blend the final product before serving. I use a hand blender.
Note: Take into account the sodium / salt in the vegetable broth / stock when adding salt to the soup. The celeriac is also slightly salty, so adding salt may not be necessary.
Note: This soup is a fine place to use up older carrots, which have lost some of their sweetness. Adding a diced apple and some molasses (1 - 2 tbsp) seems to compensate well.