How to Stop Stress Eating (video) + Plant Based Cream of Celery Soup

celery soup in a bowl

Are you ready to stop stress eating all the potato chips and all their friends?

Is it time to start eating all that fresh fruit you bought instead of that old, crusty stash of candy sitting in your pantry?

Do you want to get back into your kitchen and start cooking plant powered deliciousness?

It’s been a LONG few months of Covid-19, and we’ve learned a lot about ourselves during these unsettled times.

We’ve grieved.

We’ve looked for comfort in food.

We’ve had to face some really difficult situations without running out our front door to the beach, to the bar, to the movies, to the mall, to all the usual places that distract us.

We’ve had to face our fears.

We’ve had to be apart so that we can eventually come together.

We’ve had to accept things that we don’t like.

Of COURSE we’ve turned to food to help us calm the fuck down and find even a hint of pleasure and normalcy. And I’m not talking about carrots and apples.

You know what I’m talking about:

Chips and cookies and crackers and chocolate and pretzels and ice cream and candy and wine and booze and frozen pizza and cake and scones and salty snacks and the list goes on when we stress eat.

Alcohol and food with lots of salt, sugar, and fat is one of the quickest ways to get a quick hit of pleasure, but that pleasure doesn’t stick around. That pleasure starts to feel more like a heaviness of the spirit as time goes on. It’s not that eating all those short-term pleasure-inducing foods is bad or wrong, it’s just that they make us feel like crap.

It’s not that eating all those short-term pleasure-inducing foods is bad or wrong, it’s just that they make us feel like crap.

Life is tough and we’re all trying to hold it together the best we can. If we don’t have a plan and some tools, it’s easy to turn to food and alcohol when we’re stressed and anxious.

Here’s just that – a plan to stop stress eating and some tools to help you get through all the stressful times in your life without making cake your go-to breakfast.

Closed Captioning available.

celery soup in a bowl

Cream of Celery Soup (oil-free)

Makes about 8 cups
Author: Molly Patrick

Ingredients

Instant Pot Ingredients:

  • 4 cups celery, chopped into ½-inch pieces (520 g)
  • 1 ¼ cups carrot, unpeeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces (160 g)
  • 1 cup yellow onion, chopped into ½-inch pieces (130 g)
  • 4 teaspoons garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (470 ml)
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened, non-dairy milk (355 ml)
  • ½ cup canned great northern beans, rinsed and drained (75 g)
  • ¼ cup raw cashews (35 g)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (can sub with 1 teaspoon dried dill)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregnao
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper (about 10 turns)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½ tablespoon lemon juice

Stove Top Ingredients:

  • 4 cups celery, chopped into ½-inch pieces (520 g)
  • 1 ¼ cups carrot, unpeeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces (160 g)
  • 1 cup yellow onion, chopped into ½-inch pieces (130 g)
  • 4 teaspoons garlic, chopped
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (705 ml)
  • 2 cups unsweetened, non-dairy milk (470 g)
  • ½ cup canned great northern beans, rinsed and drained (75 g)
  • ¼ cup raw cashews (35 g)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (can sub with 1 teaspoon dried dill)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper (about 10 turns)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 ½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½ tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions:

  • Press the saute button on your Instant Pot (IP) and allow the inner pot to heat up for 2 minutes, then add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if the veggies begin to stick. Add the vegetable broth, non-dairy milk, beans, cashews, dill, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, salt, onion powder, turmeric powder, and black pepper and stir. Add the bay leaf.
  • Turn off the IP and lock the lid into place, making sure the nozzle is pointed in the sealing position. Use the Manual (or Pressure Cooking) mode and set the timer for 3 minutes. Use the natural release method when the timer goes off.
  • When the pressure is totally down, carefully remove the lid. Remove and discard the bay leaf and stir in the nutritional yeast and lemon juice.
  • Transfer the soup to your blender and blend in batches, filling your blender about half full each time and making sure the lid is secure. Blend each batch until smooth, then pour into bowls and serve.

Stove Top Instructions:

  • Heat a large pot over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
  • Add the vegetable broth, non-dairy milk, beans, cashews, dill, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, salt, onion powder, turmeric, black pepper, and bay leaf and stir. Bring just to a boil, then quickly lower heat and gently simmer, with the lid on the pot at an angle, for about 10 minutes or until the celery is completely soft.
  • Remove and discard the bay leaf, then stir in the nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Transfer the soup to your blender and blend in batches, filling your blender about half full each time and making sure the lid is secure. Blend each batch until smooth, then pour into bowls and serve.

Notes

Note: Flavors develop overnight, so while yummy when first made, it’s even more delicious the next day.

Wishing you a happy week. May it be filled with eating the fruit.

Xo
Molly

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16 Comments

  1. Gennycat on July 4, 2020 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    Can you use canned full fat organic coconut milk Which helps heal & deal my gut Or coconut cream and use Arrow root as a thicker As I’m allergic to all forms of yeast brewers. Or otherwise?
    Thx
    From An autoimmune, leaky gut Fan! I have to sub. Lots of times and b/c I have food intolerances they change all the time! I’ve come a long way I’m
    Down from 44 food intolerances or sensitivities to about 10 now. Being overdosed on antibiotics did that to
    Me about 8 years ago. But I am recovering and getting better and better all the time. The clean dirty diet helps me a lot?

    • Team Clean Food Dirty Girl on July 4, 2020 at 11:30 am

      Hey Gennycat – sure, coconut milk will work – though it’s not a neutral flavor so will change the overall flavor of the soup. I imagine it would still be tasty. Let us know if you try it. Adding arrowroot would change the consistency so probably best to not add that in this recipe. Best wishes for your continued healing. ~Karen

  2. Gennycat on July 4, 2020 at 10:22 am

    5 stars
    Oops I meant to say-heals and seals my gut!

  3. Alyson Armstrong on July 4, 2020 at 10:32 am

    You look wonderful Molly! You are glowing 🙂

  4. Jcb on July 4, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    That looks so good! If made the day before, should you reheat or serve chilled?

    • Team Clean Food Dirty Girl - Steph on July 5, 2020 at 9:40 am

      I prefer it warmed up, but it’s up to you! If you enjoy it chilled, eat it that way. You do you! xo Stephanie

  5. Sue on July 4, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    Glad to see hear you are feeling a bit more ‘chipper’.
    Yes you definitely look better in the ‘ after’ photo ..??..phew
    Celery soup is difficult to buy here….it was always available as Campbells Soup (uk) and then it disappeared, and I know that it can be quite fibrous and that some people are allergic, but if you’re not, then this looks like one to try, and I always missed it.
    Thanks for the recipe xx

  6. Marion Abbink on July 4, 2020 at 2:41 pm

    Thank you for this video! Just what I needed to hear at this moment 🙂
    Greetings from the Netherlands.

  7. Aileen on July 8, 2020 at 12:20 pm

    3 stars
    Do you think this soup would freeze well. I can’t see anything in the recipe that might make it grainy if I did. Thanks for all the great recipes!

    • Team Clean Food Dirty Girl - Steph on July 8, 2020 at 12:59 pm

      It may separate after being frozen, so we don’t recommend it. However, you’re free to try it out for yourself. You may be able to alleviate any texture issues after defrosting by giving it another whirl in the blender. If you have success, let us know! <3 Stephanie

  8. Jenny on October 18, 2020 at 7:22 pm

    Hi!

    Thank you so much for this recipe! I was wondering if you think an immersion blender would work just as well as putting it in a Vitamix?

    Thank you!

    • Team Clean Food Dirty Girl - Steph on October 19, 2020 at 9:39 am

      Hi Jenny! Yes, an immersion blender should work just fine. Happy eating! xo Stephanie

  9. Arlo on April 18, 2021 at 9:35 am

    We have tree nut allergies in the home. What do you think would be a good substitute for cashews in this recipe? Peanuts? Pine nuts? Hemp hearts?

    • Team Clean Food Dirty Girl - Steph on April 18, 2021 at 11:06 am

      Hi Arlo!

      We suggest substituting with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. You can also sub with more beans if you’d like. Of course, you’re always welcome to experiment with peanuts or pine nuts. 🙂

      Happy eating!
      Stephanie

  10. Diane A on December 8, 2022 at 6:47 am

    I have to be honest, this is what drives me crazy about CFDG recipies…8 ingrediants with 1/2 or 1/4 tsp measures. Is it necessary or just annoying? The food is always delish tho.

    • Stephanie from Team Dirty on December 8, 2022 at 9:22 am

      Hi Diane!

      We get it—spending time measuring small amounts of multiple spices can be annoying. We tend to add several spices to our dishes because they add depth of flavor and can help take the burden off of salt to provide most of the seasoning. We believe it’s a big reason why our food is so yummy and other plant based recipes can seem a bit bland.

      A trick to make measuring faster that we like is to line up all the spices in order of the amount called for (biggest to smallest or vice versa). Then, use the same whole teaspoon to measure all of them, just dip the teaspoon into the spice and dip out what looks like half of the teaspoon or a quarter, depending on what’s called for. They don’t need to be measured exactly. Measuring out all of your spices into a small bowl before getting started can save time and frustration later. Just be sure to measure liquids last or use a separate measure for them.

      Of course, we always want you to do what works for you. If you’d rather not deal with all the spices, you can omit some or all of them and see how you like the soup. If you enjoy it just as much, then that’s great!

      I hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      Stephanie

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