Soup Base:
1 lb purple potatoes cubed
2-3 stalks celery chopped
4 garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 onion chopped
Either: enough vegetable bullion to dissolve into 4 cups of water or 4 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp smoked salt
1/3 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Roux:
¼ cup Pamela’s Artisan Gluten Free Flour
3 Tbs butter
1 cup coconut milk
2 pinches of fennel seed (try to crumble a bit with fingers)
Either: 3 tsp fresh cilantro or 1.5 tsp freeze dried cilantro or 1tsp dried cilantro

In a Dutch oven, melt butter with olive oil. Add smoked salt and paprika.

Cook celery and onion in butter-oil mixture until onion is translucent, roughly 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cubed potatoes, and mix. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add vegetable stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.

In a sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. (Pro tip: once you start whisking a roux, don’t expect to stop at any point until the roux is done!) Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the coconut milk, fennel seeds, and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. After the potatoes have finished cooking, slowly stir or whisk the roux into the potato mixture. Puree soup to taste with either stick blender or blender and return to Dutch oven. Tip: after complete whisk in ¼ cup of water into the soup for every 30 minutes left on the stovetop on low, if keeping for later.