Celery can be eaten raw or cooked. If raw, it can be can be eaten as celery sticks, dipped into sauce of one's preference, for example, cream cheese or peanut butter sauce. It can also be juiced or it can be combined with fruits and vegetables to be made into smoothies. If cooked, celery can be stir fried on its own with sauteed garlic or with prawns or with mushrooms or with other vegetables. It can be cooked into clear or thick soup.
Whichever way we eat celery, there are benefits to be gained from its consumption. It is an important source of antioxidants. It can reduce inflammation. It can help in digestion. It is rich in vitamins and minerals with a low glycemic index (meaning it has a slow and steady effect on our blood sugar). Finally, it has an alkalizing effect on acidic foods.
Ingredients:
- 4 big stalks of celery
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 big potato
- 3 tbsp cream (or more)
- cooking oil
- salt
- pepper
- water
- butter (optional)
Method:
- Remove the fiber from the celery stalks. Wash and slice them into 0.5 cm width.
- Remove the skin of the yellow onion and slice it thinly.
- Chop up the garlic.
- Skin the potato and cut into smaller pieces.
- Heat up 2 spoonfuls of cooking oil in a pot.
- Saute the onion till it is fragrant.
- Add the chopped garlic and continue to saute till garlic is fragrant.
- Add the sliced celery stalks and potato.
- Add water into the pot till it covers the ingredients. Let the water boil till the onion, celery stalks and potato are soft.
- Turn off the fire and let the pot of ingredients cool down.
- Once they have cooled down, blend them either with a hand-held blender or a blender. If using a blender, blend the ingredients in about 3-4 batches.
- Return the soup to the pot.
- Heat up the soup and add cream.
- (Optional) Add a dollop of butter.
- Add salt and pepper according to taste.
- Serve hot with baguette or garlic bread.