Rosemary Potato & Celery Soup

Simple pleasures .. bubbles (for him) ..
a glass of wine (for me) ..
.. & warm sunshine in Central Ohio!

I opened a bottle of wine this afternoon after a long time because it just felt right. Nik and I were outside most of the day. Our neighbor visited with us for a little bit .. but for the most part, it was him and I chilling on a rather uncommon (these days!) warm spring afternoon in Central Ohio. He had his bubbles and his baseball bat and his scooter and I had my glass of wine and Nook to read the rest of my latest book! We spent a blissful afternoon under the budding trees (thank goodness I've got a fresh bottle of prescription Flonase!!) 

Anyhow, in the end, I was left with an almost full bottle of wine (since the wuss in me can consume 1 glass/sitting). I also had a pack of celery sitting in the fridge so I decided to use both for dinner and make a celery soup, with a white wine base. 

I looked at various recipes online and then decided to make a variation of one of I found. I included Rosemary since I've developed a fondness for the rosemary-potato combination.  

Adapted from: Crash Test Vegetarian [Vegan] Potato Soup

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1. 1 lb Celery (diced)
2. 1.5 lb Russet potatoes (diced)
3. 3 cups of White Wine (preferably dry, and not too sweet)
4. 3 cups water or Home-Made Vegetable Broth
5. 1 tbsp 'Better than Bouillon' Mushroom or Vegetable Base
6. 3 tsp Onion powder
7. 2 tsp Garlic powder
8. 1 tsp Nutmeg powder
9. 2 tsp fresh Rosemary, diced
10. 3 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour
11. 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
12. 1/2 cup Almond Milk
13. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Rosemary Potato & Celery Soup

Directions:

In a deep stock pot, add 3 cups of wine and add celery with a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer to allow celery to cook down into the wine (it will become more translucent). Then add diced potatoes, onion, garlic and nutmeg powders, bouillon base and more water (or broth) and simmer until potatoes are tender (~15-20 min). Cover partially to prevent over-drying. Add more water (or broth) as needed to keep the soup runny. In a separate stock pot on medium-low heat, dry roast the whole wheat flour until golden and then add a splash of water and then almond milk. Whisk this mixture to make a smooth roux. Add more water (or broth) as needed and whisk until smooth and frothy. Then add nutritional yeast and whisk again. Bring to a slow boil (on simmer) and then transfer contents to the soup. Mix well and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes to allow the soup to become thick and creamy. Taste test for salt and serve hot with a sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 185 (Fat Calories 9)
Total Fat 1.0 g; Carbohydrates 30.3 g; Fiber 5.8 g; Sugars 3.5 g; Protein 5.5 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary tremendously.