Poor, humble celery must be the most underrated vegetable on the planet. It’s chopped into every mirepoix, sofrito, and holy trinity — the very soul of some of our most celebrated soups, sauces, and stews. It plays the log in every production of “Ants on a Log.” It’s the glorified swizzle stick in our Bloody Marys, and the crunchy scoop for all manner of dips. Isn’t it about time we gave celery its very own show?

Celery soup might just be its star turn! It’s a purée of garlic, potatoes, veggie broth, a handful of herbs and spices, and a whopping six cups of celery. We swirl a little sour cream through it, too. Take a bite, and it has a wonderfully lush texture — thick and light at once. The flavor is full of celery, of course, but here it’s super aromatic. We love the soup’s spiciness: there’s cayenne and black pepper in it, but what comes through is the peppercorn’s pungency, the perfect complement to the soup’s warm savoriness.

All of our tasters gushed over this soup. One was even heard to say, “It’s drinkable good. I am drinking it.” It’s also fantastic for dunking. In the test kitchen, we paired it with big slices of freshly baked Dutch oven pumpkin bread — its mild, pumpkin sweetness, toasty nuts, and fall spices were just perfect with the peppery soup.

Yield: 7 cups

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

4 large cloves garlic, rough chopped

6 cups celery, sliced

2 cups Yukon potatoes, diced

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ cup dill, chopped

½ cup parsley, chopped

½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat, and then add the onion, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and stir the vegetables for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.

3. Add the celery, Yukon potatoes, vegetable broth, water, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. The liquids should just cover the veggies. Cover the pot with a lid, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the remaining herbs, let them wilt, and turn off the heat.

5. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until it’s silky smooth, or if using a stand blender, let the soup cool before blending in smaller batches. (If you’re blending warm soup, fill the blender no more than halfway to prevent overflowing.)

6. In the same pot, return the soup to the stove. Stir in the sour cream or plain yogurt, and gently warm the soup over low heat, being careful not to let it simmer — so that it retains its vibrant color. Serve warm.

Recipe source: Feasting at Home

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