Category: Soups

Celery Root Soup (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo, AIP)

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Are you familiar with celery root? It’s also called celeriac and it tastes like a cross between celery and parsley. It’s starchy like other root veggies and makes a really fantastic substitute for mashed potatoes (no, really!). So if you’re looking for a low carb alternative, celery root is it! 
 

Although this amazing vegetable offers a lot to write home about in terms of taste and nutrition, it’s one of the less attractive veggies at the market and for that reason, it’s often overlooked. This vegetable gives new meaning to the phrase, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ It’s shaped like a globe and has this gnarly, uneven and brown appearance – it reminds me of something straight out of Harry Potter 😛 (take a look at the photo and you’ll see what I mean!).

 
On the inside however, this veggie is creamy, white and aromatic – just beautiful. Once you’ve tasted it, you’ll kick yourself for not having tried it sooner. 
 
Celeriac is rich in dietary fibre which is essential for maintaining proper digestion. It helps keep everything moving, if you know what I mean 😛 It’s also a good source of Vitamin C and fantastic for helping to strengthen the immune system, especially this time of year (hello cold n’ flu season and cold weather!). 
 
Ok, back to the mashed potatoes talk! When you’re on an AIP diet, the comfort of the white potato is off limits to you. White potatoes are part of the nightshade family and many people who have autoimmune conditions have trouble with them. That’s why it’s invaluable to have substitutes like celery root to lean on when you have these dietary restrictions. You can turn this unassuming veggie into a gorgeous puree or mash to help satisfy that carb craving. 
 
Let’s talk about this soup now. It’s rich and savoury. Luxurious in texture. And adding the cooked bacon bits on top just adds some much needed crunch. Enjoy!
 
We want to know –> what’s the most challenging part of following an AIP protocol for you? Share with us in the comments below. 
 
We love seeing what you’re cooking up! Don’t forget to share your recreations with us on Instagram @holisticwellnessfoodie  @valeriepiccitto
Celery Root Soup
Serves 4
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
35 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 4 slices bacon, cooked & chopped
  2. 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  3. 1 large leek, sliced
  4. 2 1-pound celery roots, cut into 1 inch pieces
  5. 1 cup celery, chopped
  6. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  7. 5 cups vegetable stock
  8. 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
  9. 2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
  10. sea salt
Instructions
  1. Cook bacon as you normally would. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. Chop & set aside.
  2. In a large soup pot, warm olive oil over medium heat, add sliced leeks, celery root and celery. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and sauté for a minute until fragrant.
  4. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until celery root is fork tender.
  5. In batches, carefully blend soup mixture (you can use a hand immersion blender or your blender).
  6. Add the blended soup back into the pot and stir in coconut milk. Season with sea salt.
  7. Portion out soup and garnish with chopped chives and bacon.
Notes
  1. *If you are NOT on the AIP protocol, feel free to add in some fresh black pepper.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
 
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10 Steps to the Most Delicious Bone Broth (Instant Pot Recipe)

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Bone broth is one of the best healing foods to include in your diet and something I consume on the regular. 

It’s become a part of my morning routine and gut healing/autoimmune protocol. And with the instant pot on hand, you can whip up bone broth in 2 hours. Yes – 2 hours!

I used to make broth on the stove in my massive stock pot and would leave the stove on low heat for 12 hours (overnight). The broth always turned out great, but having your stove on for that long, especially in the summer, makes our little condo HOT. Plus, I was impatient and wanted it faster. 

Then I switched over to the slow cooker. A much better option than the stove, but I still had to cook it for 12 hours. If you don’t have an instant pot, I recommend making this in your slow cooker. You’ll just have to cook the broth for anywhere from 8-12 hours to get the optimal benefits and nutrients. 

Otherwise, get yourself an instant pot. Its inexpensive and is a huge time saver! I love making my Butter Chicken in the instant pot. It’s damn good! And only takes 8 minutes. Serve over some cauliflower rice and dinner is ready in no time. 

I get asked all the time about making bone broth and I promise, by following this simple 10-step process, you’ll become a bone broth pro in no time! Hope you enjoy this simple and easy to follow recipe and share this healing goodness with your friends and family. 

You can check out my Instagram post here, where I share this 10-Step process with photos, so you can see how it all goes down. Also, be sure to check out my delicious Healing Chicken Soup recipe here that I also make in my instant pot. 

10-Step Instant Pot Chicken Bone Broth

Ingredients:

1 leek, washed well and chopped roughly
2 celery stalks, chopped roughly
2 carrots, chopped roughly
1 onion, chopped roughly
5 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
5-6 chicken feet (or more, depending on how big your pot is)
1 pound of chicken wings or backs (or more, depending on how big your pot is. As a note, I suggest to roughly chop these up, which helps to release more nutrients/gelatin. Ask your butcher to do it for you)
1-2 tbsp of fish sauce, gluten free

Directions:

STEP 1: add 1 chopped leaks to your instant pot
STEP 2: add 2 chopped celery stalks
STEP 3: add 2 chopped carrots
STEP 4: add 1 chopped onion + 5 chopped garlic cloves + a few springs of fresh thyme + 1 bay leaf
STEP 5: add in 5 chicken feet + roughly 1 pound of chicken wings 
STEP 6: add in filtered water to fill line + add in 1 tbsp of fish sauce
STEP 7: give everything a mix
STEP 8: on instant pot, select manual and set time for 120 minutes (make sure pressure valve is in correct spot)
STEP 9: wait for ON to appear – and you’re ALL SET ?? – let cook
STEP 10: strain into mason jars and store in freezer if not using right away or fridge

 

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Instant Pot Chicken Soup – A Hearty and Veggie Filled Soup To Keep Your Immune System Strong During Cold n’ Flu Season

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Nothing beats a warm bowl of chicken soup. I’ve been cooking up lots of deliciousness in my instant pot and this delicious chicken soup did not disappoint. 

Plus, it was just what my boyfriend needed while he was sick. He ate up every last bite and it helped him bust through his cold (now let’s just hope that I don’t catch it!).

So what’s the deal with chicken soup and colds anyways? Well, you’ve got an amazing blend of sulphur from onions and garlic that help your body detox, plus you’ve got the incredible amino acids and vitamins from the broth, and hearty protein from chicken. 

Not to mention all the amazing nutrients from veggies. I find it’s always so easy to add in a mix of veggies to soups. I used your typical carrots, onion and celery in this recipe, but also added in some butternut squash and an entire bag of spinach. Hello cold busting vitamin C!

Although this recipe only took 12 minutes in total to cook, you do have wait for the pressure to come up, which took at good 15 minutes x 2 – as you’ll see in the recipe below. 

But, it was worth the wait. And the chicken turned out amazing! Fall apart, tender chicken that tok this out to a whole other level. 

I used chicken thighs, which I often cook with over chicken breast, as it’s much more tender due to a higher fat content. Now don’t freak out about the fat. It’s a good thing – especially if you’re buying organic chicken or pasture raised. Those fats are not only delicious, but great for your hormones. 

Did you know your hormones need fat to function? Yes they do! 

Hope you enjoy this instant pot chicken soup as much as we did! It’ll hit the spot on those cold winter nights. Ugh… winter – I’m not a fan. Is it summer yet?? The summer countdown is on – only 5 more months!

Instant Pot Chicken Soup
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (fresh, not frozen)
  2. 6 cups Chicken Bone Broth
  3. 3 tablespoons Vital Proteins grass-fed unflavored gelatin powder
  4. 1 yellow onion, chopped
  5. 5 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 3 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
  7. 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  8. 4 celery stalks, chopped
  9. 3 carrots, chopped
  10. 1 package Go-Go Quinoa Spaghetti (or any other gluten free spaghetti brand)
  11. 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  12. 11/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  13. 1 bay leaf
  14. 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus more for serving
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken thighs in your instant pot.
  2. Add the bone broth, gelatin powder, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and turmeric.
  3. Secure the lid, set your pressure valve and select manual setting. Set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
  4. When the 10 minutes is up, quick release the pressure. Remove the chicken, cut into bite-size chunks, and return it to the instant pot.
  5. Add the celery, carrots, spaghetti (split into 3 - just simply break with hands), parsley, thyme and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Secure the lid again, select the manual setting, and set it to high pressure for 4 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Stir in the lemon juice.
  6. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with extra lemon juice if desired.
Notes
  1. *Add in some spinach at the very end and stir in to wilt. It's a great way to get in extra vitamin C.
  2. *Cooking the pasta - I cooked mine for HALF the time it would normally take. The package says 8 minutes, so I went with 4.
  3. *Depending on the noodle 'length' you prefer, I broke my noodles into 3, but half would work too.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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The Best Tempeh Vegan Chili

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It’s officially fall! Although, the weather has me thinking otherwise!

These hot temperatures are A-ok in my books. I hope this weather sticks around a little longer as I’m not prepared to bundle up just yet. 

Although the weather may not feel so fall like, the grocery stores are full of squashes, pumpkins and lots of seasonal veggies. I just couldn’t help but want to cook up a delicious chili and embrace the fall season. 

Which brings me to my vegan chili. A chili that is so easy to make and completely plant based. 

So here’s the thing… most people actually assume that I’m a vegan. While others assume I’m a paleo. Truth is I’m all of those things. What matters to me is the quality of my food, hence why I call myself the Qualitarian Nutritionist. 

I eat beans and I eat meat. I like both. 

Sometimes I can’t get my hands on organic pasture raised meats, so instead I opt for organic beans and tempeh. My diet also varies based on how I feel. Some days I want meat and other days I don’t.

It’s important to tune into your body and know what it’s really craving. At the end of the day, regardless of the diet you follow, quality is key. Plus, you also want to be sure to load up on greens and veggies and then fill in the rest with quality protein sources and healthy fats. Stop beating yourself up over new diet trends. Tune in, tune out the madness and love and care for your body with quality food. Don’t overcomplicate it. 

The only reason you might want or need to eliminate certain foods or follow a particular diet can be due to particular health goals, whether that be lose weight, combat inflammation, gain weight, balance hormones, heal digestive issues, etc. 

In the end, I just don’t want to see people over complicating their diets and questioning every single thing they eat. With all the misinformation out there it can be difficult to truly enjoy eating anymore, because we always have someone debunking or questioning us. 

Eat. Quality. Food. 

Simple.

Speaking of simple and quality, my tempeh vegan chili is just that. It was exactly what I was craving. Hearty, nourishing and delicious. 

And if you’re unfamiliar with tempeh; yes it is a soy product, but it’s a fermented soy. So much healthier! Be sure to buy organic and non-gmo tempeh. It’s loaded with protein and makes the perfect addition to chili’s, stews, soups and even sandwiches. You can checkout my delicious tempeh sandwich here.

Enjoy the chili!

The Best Tempeh Vegan Chili
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 8oz. package tempeh, crumbled
  2. 1 large onion, chopped
  3. 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  4. 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil for sauteing
  5. 1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I like Eden Organic Beans)
  6. 1 can (28 oz.) fresh diced tomatoes
  7. 1 can (4 oz.) mild green chilies, diced
  8. 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
  9. 2 tablespoons chili powder ( I use simply organic vegetarian chili spice mix)
  10. 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, optional
  11. Salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste
  12. 1 cup water
  13. scallions, for garnish
  14. sliced avocado, for garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil over medium heat.
  2. Add onions, garlic, spices and tempeh and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add beans, tomatoes, green chilies, bell pepper and water.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for roughly 45 minutes.
  4. Let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve with green onions, avocado or cilantro.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Broccoli Avocado Detox Soup

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Broccoli is one vegetable that I don’t enjoy eating. It’s true. 

Serve it in a soup however, and I’ll eat it. 

With all the fiber and incredible health benefits, like supporting the liver and detoxing excess estrogen out of your system, how could you not want to eat it! This veggie is truly beneficial for health. So if your not a broccoli lover like me, please find a way to enjoy it. Maybe this soup will be the trick?

You can whip this soup up in 15 minutes. It really is a fuss-free soup to make. Its loaded with hormone balancing fats, immune supportive vitamin C, plus iron, magnesium, calcium and fiber. 

Avocado lends the perfect creaminess to this soup without having to add any cream. So for all the lactose intolerant and non-dairy drinkers out there, you can enjoy a creamy broccoli soup minus the dairy! 

So eat up and stay warm. It’s chilly out there 😉

  • Broccoli Avocado Detox Soup
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    Prep Time
    5 min
    Cook Time
    10 min
    Total Time
    15 min
    Prep Time
    5 min
    Cook Time
    10 min
    Total Time
    15 min
    Ingredients
    1. 1 Tbsp coconut oil or grass-fed butter
    2. 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    3. 3 cloves garlic, minced
    4. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
    5. 4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (enough to cover the broccoli)
    6. 1 head broccoli, trimmed and chopped (about 6 cups)
    7. 2 cups baby spinach
    8. 1 avocado, chopped
    9. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Instructions
    1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cook, covered, until bright green and tender, about 3-5 minutes.
    2. Season with salt and pepper.
    3. Remove from heat, and stir in spinach.
    4. Transfer soup to a blender and puree with avocado.
    5. Adjust seasonings and garnish with fresh pepper.
    Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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