Celeriac (also known as celery root) is a very ugly vegetable. It's knobby and dirty and covered in odd protrusions. But don't let that stop you from sampling this fantastic root—it might look monstrous, but it's actually quite delectable. In the words of my boyfriend (who I routinely use as a guinea pig for my recipes) it tastes like "a really meaty intense version of celery."

Last week, I picked up three celeriac bulbs at the Winter Farmer's Market, along with several onions, some carrots, and a head of cauliflower. I hadn't been planning to make soup, but once I set all my veggies out on the counter, all I could think of was pureeing and mashing and stewing. And that's how this healthy, savory, wintery soup came to be.

Creamy, Garlicy, Wintery Roasted Veggie Soup

- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 celeriac bulbs, peeled and chopped into half-inch chunks
- 1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into half-inch chunks
- 3 carrots, peeled and cut into half-inch chunks
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 whole head of garlic, peeled
- 8 cups of broth (either veggie or chicken will work here—I used chicken, but go for the vegetable if you want it to be vegan)
- Garlic salt & lemon pepper
- Lots of olive oil
- Splash of white wine (optional)

1. After you have all your vegetables chopped and ready to go, throw the celeriac, cauliflower, garlic, and carrots into a big bowl and drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the top (enough so that everything is coated, but not drenched). Season with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Spread the entire mixture out on a roasting pan—or two—and put in the oven at 375 degrees. Allow the vegetables to roast until they are fork-tender. Shake the pan every ten minutes or so to ensure even cooking.

2. While the vegetable medley is in the oven, start prepping your soup. Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into your soup pot. Once it's hot, add the onions and celery and sauté until translucent. Add a splash of white wine… or just a cup of the broth and scrape off any brown bits that may have formed on the bottom. Continue to add broth and bring to a boil.

3. Once the vegetables are tender, take them out and dump them into the stewing pot of broth. Let the entire thing simmer uncovered at low heat for a half hour. You want the flavors to meld and the vegetables to get really, really soft, so let it cook down.

4. Are the vegetables practically falling apart? Now you're ready to blend! Grab an immersion blender and go to town (or, if you don't have one, blend in batches in a regular blender).

5. Garnish with a few sprigs of celery leaf and some crusty bread, and start spooning!