1

Peel and chop up the celeriac into small chunks. Roughly chop the onions and celery, then peel and chop 3 of your apples. Pick the leaves off the thyme and grate the 4 cloves of garlic.

2

Slowly cook the onions and celery in a big glug of oil for 10-15 minutes until very soft.

3

Add the garlic, apple, celeriac, bay leaves and thyme, saving about a teaspoon of thyme for later. Pour over the stock and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid slightly ajar until the vegetables are tender.

4

Chop the remaining apple into small cubes, pick apart the sage leaves and thinly slice the garlic.

5

Blend the soup with a hand blender, along with the crème fraîche, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

6

Heat up the butter and a tablespoon of oil in a small pan. Add the apples and saute until lightly golden. Add in the sage and sliced garlic. Cook on a low heat for 2 minutes until the sage is crispy and the garlic is golden.

7

Serve the soup topped with the herby butter on top and some crusty bread on the side.