CREAMY CELERY SOUP RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven), melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften; 5 to 6 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and then cook, stirring everything around the pot, for 30 seconds.
• Scatter the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until it looks medium blonde in color; about 1 minute. It will smell toasty, like browned butter.
• Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the stock, making sure there aren’t any lumps of flour. It will be thick.
• Pour in the remaining stock and whisk until blended. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
• Add the potatoes and bay leaf, and then cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork tender; about 20 minutes.
• Turn the heat to low, remove the bay leaf, and then stir in the cream and cheese.
• Taste for seasoning then adjust with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with fresh herbs on top or for a thick and blended soup, use a potato masher to mash or an immersion blender to blend about half of the potatoes in the soup (this is Joanne’s favorite way to serve the soup).

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the celery, potatoes and leeks and cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Pour the stock into the pan and add the bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf.
• Cool slightly. Using a draining spoon, lift out the vegetables and put them into a blender or food processor with some of the liquid. Whizz to a purée.
• Return the purée to the pan with the rest of the liquid, add the milk and heat gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the soup into warm bowls and grind a little more pepper over the top. Scatter over the chopped celery leaves to garnish.