This creamy celery soup with the fragrant flavours of basil is an easy and healthy comfort dish.
A warm bowl of soup can do wonders to uplift your spirits on a cold day and this celery soup is perfect for this. The basil helps turn a plain bowl of soup into a taste explosion too. I love the smell of basil and there is a local company in St Lucia that grows basil with the most amazing aroma and flavour. So I find any excuse to add basil to my food when it’s available.
Cream cheese was used in place of potatoes to make this a creamy celery soup. Once blended, the soup has a rich and creamy consistency. You would never know that no root vegetable was used to thicken this. If you used heavy cream in place of the cream cheese the soup would not be as thick. However, if you wanted a thinner soup, you might enjoy it. To make it vegan use almond or coconut milk.
Health Benefits of Celery
Celery has been famed for being a low calorie food but it has other nutritional benefits. It is full of antioxidants, vitamin C and beto carotene and has anti-inflammatory compounds. The high fibre and water content making it great for digestion.
Perhaps a dash of lemon would turn this celery soup into a soup for a spring or summer’s day. I had toyed with the idea of adding lemon when I made this soup but wanted to try a celery soup with just basil first. If I have lemons when I next make this, I think I’ll add some.
Tips for Buying and Storing Celery
• Look for celery that has sturdy, upright stalks. They should snap easily when you pull them, not bend.
• Leaves should be crisp and fresh. The colour should be bright green with no yellow or browning.
• Don’t discard the leaves as they have the most calcium, potassium, and vitamin C.
• If you purchase pre-cut stalks, they should be bright green and crisp.
• Chop celery just before cooking or serving to maintain nutrients.
• Eat fresh celery within five to seven days to enjoy its maximum nutritional benefits.
Other Soups You May Enjoy
Broccoli, Red Pepper & Cheddar Soup
Celery & Basil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 3 cups celery
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons basil, fresh chopped
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Chop the celery sticks into pieces
- Heat a large saucepan and melt the butter, add in the diced celery, onion and garlic and sauté for about 4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add the vegetable stock and bring the soup to the boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the cream cheese and basil. Stir until the cream cheese has melted.
- Season with the salt and pepper.
- Remove from the heat and blend until smooth.
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