Not quite T.R.'s Celery Root Soup

Number three on my list of favorite winter soups is my own adaptation of Tal Ronnen's celery root soup. Tal Ronnen is a well known American cook, and a master at creating gorgeous meatless meals. My mother-in-law brought me his beautifully photographed cookbook called The Conscious Cook (2009) from the US a while ago, and his celery root soup (quoted by Oprah, as being 'the most popular soup she makes'), is one of the recipes I adopted but adapted to better fit my needs.
Don't let the looks of the root put you off... This soup is delicious!

You need
•(Vitamix®) blender
•large saucepan

Ingredients 
(for 12 cups/3 l of soup)
•2 tbs of virgin olive/coconut oil
•2 medium celery roots, peeled and cut into cubes
•2 medium onions, chopped
•3 l ( cups) of vegetable stock
•2 tbs of white almond butter
•1 bay leaf
•freshly ground salt and pepper
•a few green celery leaves (for decoration)
•fresh salt and pepper

Putting it together
•In a large saucepan, warm the oil and add the chopped onion over medium heat. Sauté until soft for a few minutes. Stir frequently until slightly see-through;
•Add the celery root and continue to sauté, stirring frequently until slightly softened (about 5 minutes)
•Add the vegetable stock
•Bring everything to a boil and let it simmer till vegetables are soft
•Add almond butter
•Remove bay leaf
•Let it cool a bit and then blend until smooth
•Return to the saucepan and season with black pepper and/or salt to taste

Presentation
Place a spoonful of very finely chopped celery leaves in the center of each serving.