Jerusalem artichoke, celeriac and orange soup with gremolata

Jerusalem artichoke, celeriac and orange soup with gremolata. Photo / Doug Sherring

This velvet potage is deceptive. It tastes so creamy but does not have a drop of dairy in it.

Soup:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 celeriac (about 750g) peeled and diced
500g Jerusalem artichokes
1.5 litre vegetable stock
½ tsp saffron strands, soaked in a little hot water (optional)
1 tbsp honey
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
Sea salt and black pepper

Gremolata:
1 garlic clove
Handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
Zest of one orange

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and cook until softened.

2 Add the celeriac, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3 Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

4 Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender in batches and liquidise to a smooth purée.

For the gremolata garnish, finely chop all the ingredients and mix together. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and spoon over the gremolata.