Heat the oil in a big pot over medium-high heat and add the onion, stirring occasionally, letting the onions get golden, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the celery, potatoes, broth, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and cayenne. The liquid should just cover the veggies ( if not, add a little more water). Cover, bring to a rolling boil, turn heat down and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Turn heat off, remove bay leaf and add the fresh herbs and just wilt them (don’t cook herbs or you lose the vibrant color!)
Using an immersion blender blend until very silky smooth – OR if using a regular blender, let cool before blending in smaller batches. ( If blending warm soup, fill blender no more than halfway full, cover tightly with a lid and kitchen towel, holding it down firmly, when you start the motor (on the lowest setting, working up gradually) to prevent a blender “explosion”).
Blend well, a full minute, until herbs are fully blended, creating a vibrant colored soup. For extra “green” color, add a handful of raw baby spinach if you like, or more fresh parsley.
Place it back in the same pot over low heat. Stir in your choice of sour cream, or any of the other options. Gently heat, careful to not over-simmer, or you may lose the lovely vibrant color.
To make the crispy celery leaves, heat a generous amount of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Wait until the oil is hot. Fry a “tester” celery leaf for 10-20 seconds on each side. Set on a paper towel. If it is crisp, continue on. Adding a few at a time, not overly crowding. If not crisp, fry them a little longer. You want about 3-5 leaves per serving bowl. In the same oil, you could fry the nigella seeds until you just begin to hear popping. Turn heat off. Arrange the crispy celery leaves in a crescent shape. Spoon a little of the nigella seeds along with a little oil in the same shape. Sprinkle with hemp seeds if you like.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1.5 cups made with ½ cup sour cream
Calories: 183 calories
Carbohydrates: 22.1 g
Protein: 4.5 g
Fat: 9.3 g
Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 8.1 mg
Sodium: 478.2 mg
Sugar: 5.2 g
Reviews
Gary Brown on 2025-02-05 (5 stars): Delish!!
Carolyn Nelson on 2025-03-09 (5 stars): How can something this simple be so flavorful? I made it a few weeks ago on a cold winter night and my husband and I enjoyed it very much. I have never made anything quite like it. I am going to get the nigella seeds and make it again soon—very comforting and nourishing.
Josephine on 2025-03-18 (5 stars): Just made this with cashews. Devine!!! I cannot believe how sweet, tasty and tangy (lemon juice). I have thrown out so much celery in my time - not any more! Thank you.
Julie Callahan on 2025-03-19 (5 stars): I added some curry cashews with the potato/celery mix which gave it a nice and distinct flavor.
Jan on 2025-05-06 (5 stars): Five thousand stars. I follow the recipe using the cashew version. Easy. Healthy. Quick. My Vitamix blends everything in a jiffy. Thank you!