Description
A rich and comforting creamy celeriac soup enhanced with tangy mustard and savory shredded ham hock. This hearty soup balances sweetness from apple and creaminess from crème fraîche, perfect as a warming starter or light meal, served with crusty bread or as a base for a ham and cheese toastie.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Stock and Meat
- 1 unsmoked ham hock or gammon knuckle, weighing roughly 1.2kg
- 2 bay leaves
Soup Base
- 1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 large onion, halved and sliced
- 1 eating apple (Braeburn preferred), cored and cut into chunks
- 1 large celeriac, washed and cut into chunks (peeled if very dirty)
- about 1 litre ham stock (made from ham hock) diluted with water if necessary
Finishing Touches
- 100g crème fraîche, plus extra to serve
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the Ham Hock: Place the ham hock and bay leaves in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 2 hours until the meat is very tender. Add water as necessary to keep the ham submerged. Alternatively, use a pressure cooker to cook the ham hock for 30 minutes. Once cooked, remove the ham and strain the stock into a jug. Discard the rind, shred the meat finely, and set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive or rapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Add the apple and celeriac chunks to the pan.
- Simmer the Soup: Check the flavor and saltiness of the ham stock. If too salty, dilute with water. You should have about 1 litre of liquid. Pour the stock into the pan with the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until the celeriac is very tender.
- Blend the Soup: Stir in 100g of crème fraîche and 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. Use a hand blender to blitz the soup until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
- Reheat the Ham: Warm the shredded ham hock gently in a pan or microwave to serve.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a swirl of extra crème fraîche and a few drops of good-quality olive oil. Add a generous pile of warm shredded ham hock on top or on the side. Serve with crusty bread or use the meat for a ham and cheese toastie for dunking. Leftover ham hock can be frozen for up to two months.
Notes
- If using a pressure cooker, cooking time for the ham hock reduces to 30 minutes.
- The soup stock can be frozen and reused for making more soup or risotto.
- Add water to dilute the stock if it tastes overly salty before using it in the soup.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the ham hock and substitute with vegetable stock and smoked paprika for richness.
- Crusty bread is ideal for serving to soak up the creamy soup.
- Leftover ham hock meat freezes well for up to two months.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: celeriac soup, ham hock soup, creamy soup, mustard soup, British soup, winter soup, comfort food
