Celery Soup (Vegan &GF)

Back 25 years ago, in Chile, I was a big fan of the instant dried soups. Yes, I’m not very proud now about that, but those convenient and fast meals were a big part of my life, even when I went vegetarian in 2007. Maybe even more back then, because I always loved the vegetable flavors they had, like tomatoes, asparagus and corn. They were fast, comfy and filling after a long day studying or working, at night when is cold outside and when you just don’t feel like cooking anything else. Along with a piece of bread, those soups brought me so much joy before sleep.

Those instant soups are different from what we can find here on United States, since they are in powder and they comes in “sachets”, not like the traditional cans of soups available in the supermarkets. So, there is the first reason I stopped eating them: I couldn’t find them once I moved here. But my junk addiction didn’t stop there, because I tried the canned versions and I didn’t like them. Also, after going vegan I looked at the can label to realize that all have milk on them. At that point of my life, I had to take the decision to stay informed, and make conscious choices when it comes to buying groceries.

In that process I’ve learned about the importance of home cooking, simple and nutritious. Taking the next step and going vegan in my life was the end point of my junk soups affair, because I started making my own creams and soups at home. Today I’m going to leave here a simple and delicious celery soup that I frequently cook, which is amazingly tasty and full of nourishing goodness.

Celery soup

Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients:

4 a 5 medium potatoes

4 a 5 celery stalks with leaves

1/2 Onion in cubes

2 a 3 Garlic cloves finely chopped

1/2 Bell pepper in cubes

2 Cups of vegetable broth (can be replaced by water)

2 Cups non-dairy milk unsweetened and unflavored.

1/4 Tsp Black pepper

1/2 Tsp sugar

2 Tsp sea salt (or to taste)

4 Tbsp nutritional yeast.

Steps:

Wash and clean the celery of dirt and dark spots. Separate the leaves and small ends from the big stalk, chop them in cubes and reserve.
Peel and chop the potatoes to cook them in 2 cups of vegetable broth a long with the big pieces of celery stalk. Cook them for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
In the meantime stir fry the onion, garlic, the little pieces of celery and the green bell pepper on 2 Tbsp of olive oil, in a skillet at medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
Once the potatoes and celery are cooked, take them to the food processor along with its cooking liquid, 2 cups of non-dairy milk, adding the spices and process them until you get a nice and smooth mixture.
Add the mixture to the sauce pan, along with the cooked celery and onions, and let it cook for about 15 minutes at medium heat or until it starts bubbling. Stir frequently to prevent any burning at the bottom of the pan.
Serve topped with croutons.

As you can see, I used potatoes as base, Gluten free and no thickeners what so ever. Regarding to the non-dairy milk I recommend using almond or cashew nuts milk to preserve the flavors. Avoid using soy or coconut milk because its own flavor will interfere with the final taste.

This soups takes 45 minutes to be done, start to end, including the chopping process. It can be reduced to half an hour using a pressure cooker to make the potatoes, which will takes only 5 minutes.

Hope you like the recipe, give it a try, modify it adding or changing anything to your taste to make your own version of a comfy and nutritious bowl of happiness. Let me know everything in the comment section, or just reach me on Facebook or Instagram, I’ll love see you there!