Recipe: Curried Celery Soup

I made this last night for dinner, as we came home from vacation with 4 giant heads of celery. I’ll likely be posting some celery recipes over the next few days as I find good ways to use it all up.

1 large head celery, chopped
1 head garlic, minced and smashed to a paste with sea salt (see tip at very bottom of this page for technique)
1 small apple, chopped
1/4 cup white miso paste
2 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp curry powder (Indian yellow)
1 tsp celery seed
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp sea salt
2 T Smart Balance Omega-added spread (or butter)
1 cup chicken or veggie broth (or bouillon + water)

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (substitute tofu for veggie-friendly version)
1 cup dried shitake mushrooms

2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 t black truffle oil

Saute apple and celery in large pan with spices and butter until slightly softened. Remove half of vegetable/spice mixture to blender and liquefy, adding broth as you go to keep it loose. Add blender contents and remainder of saute’d veggies to a large soup pot and begin to simmer. Add water if necessary to thin soup. Add mushrooms.

Cut chicken or tofu into bite-sized pieces and brown in pan that veggies were cooked in (do not wash pan in between). Once protein is browned, add enough water to deglaze pan, and add all contents to soup pot.

Drizzle truffle oil and balsamic vinegar into soup, stir, and serve.