"Cheezy" Potato-Onion-Celery Soup

"Cheezy" Potato-Onion-Celery Soup is a simple and soothing soup that is very satisfying as well. A friend introduced a cheesy version like this luscious Leek-Potato Soup to us a long time ago. I have made it gluten-, dairy-, fat- free and Cheezy too!

I often make this soup with leeks, zucchinis, and carrots. You are not limited to using just these veggies by any means; use any veggies you like. Anyway you end up with one delicious soup!

Variation: Use 2 or 3 large leeks instead of the onions. 

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

2 medium Onions, diced (about 3 cups)

1-2 cloves Garlic (optional)

2-3 ribs Celery (about 2 cups)

1-2 Carrots (about 2 cups)

2 large Russet Potato, cubed (about 1 cup)

1 small head Cauliflower/Broccoli, separated into florets (about 5-6 cups)

6 cups Water/Vegetable Broth

1/2 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp Sea Salt or to taste

1/2 tsp Freshly ground Black Pepper

4-5 Tbsp Nutritional yeast

1/4- 1/2 tsp Cayenne

1/2 cup Parsley, finely chopped

4 Tbsp fresh Chives or Garlic Chives, finely sliced

Lemon juice to taste (about 1/2 lemon)

Method:

Prepare the veggies: they can be done ahead or as you go along.

Chop onion, celery and garlic.

Peel the potatoes if necessary and cut into 1" cubes.

Trim the ends off the zucchinis and dice.

Add the onion, celery, and garlic along with turmeric, a couple pinches of salt and pepper and a little water into a large soup pot (about 6 quart/liter size), cover with a lid, and sauté over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes or until softened.

Tip in the rest of the water/broth into the pot, raise the heat and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and keep the soup at a gentle simmer.

Prepare the carrots, potato, and cauliflower/broccoli; add each to the pot as you chop them with a little more of the water/broth as needed.

Simmer with the lid slightly ajar for about 15 minutes, until the veggies are tender.

Turn off heat and remove lid. Allow the soup to cool slightly for 5 minutes or so. 

After cooling, carefully scoop the soup into a blender carafe (you'll have to do this in a couple batches most likely) and add in the nutritional yeast and optional cayenne, if using. Carefully blend the mixture, starting at a low speed and increasing the speed until desire consistency is reached.

Puree the soup so that there are no big chunks but it still has some texture. Using an immersion blender makes this task quite simple.

Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. Heat the soup until steaming hot but not boiling.

Now, stir in the lemon juice, to taste, about 1 teaspoon at a time. The lemon juice brightens the soup.

The soup should stay fresh for a week in the fridge. To freeze, place cooled soup into a container or glass jar, leaving 1 inch at the top for expansion. Secure lid and freeze for up to 1 to 2 months.

Ladle into bowls and serve hot. 

Enjoy!!