Celery Soup (From Sylvia Fountaine, Feasting at Home)

March is National Celery Month!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil or butter

1 diced onion

4 garlic cloves, rough chopped

6 cups celery (thinly sliced) – save some leaves for garnish

2 cups potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick or add a few sliced yakon/squash, unpeeled

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup water

1 bay leaf (remove before blending) & 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper

Add:

1/4 cup fresh dill & 1/2 cup fresh parsley

Stir in: 1/2 cup or sour cream, heavy cream, or cashew cream (your choice)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium high heat, add onion stirring occasionally, onions will turn golden (5 minutes)
2. Add garlic and stir 1-2 minutes
3. Add celery, potatoes (or yakons), broth, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper. Cover, bring to a rolling boil, turn heat down and simmer gently until potatoes (yakons) are tender (10 minutes)
4. Turn heat off, remove bay leaf, add fresh herbs to just wilt them
5. Using an immersion blender, blend well, a full minute, until herbs are fully blended. For extra green color, add a handful of raw baby spinach or more fresh parsley to blend.
6. Place it back in the same pot over low heat. Stir in your choice of cream. Gently heat.

Nutrition

Celery is a low-calorie veggie high in fiber, vitamin K, contains a small amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, nutrients including calcium, potassium, and some fat and protein.  One cup of chopped celery yields ~ 14 calories, 1.6 grams of fiber, and 332 mg of potassium.

Health Value (Apiumgraveolens)

• Lowers inflammation due to antioxidants and polysaccharide content (quercetin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid)
• Decreases LDL bad cholesterol
• Helps with indigestion and acts as a diuretic
• Good for vision (vitamin A, luteolin, lutein)