Soup: Cream of Celery Soup

By SharonE

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1 small potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/2 small onion, choppped
• 2 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
• 3 cups whole milk, hot (to make this lowfat, use unsweetened soy milk)

Preparation

Step 1

In a pot, add the water, celery, potato, carrot and onion, bring to a boil,season with 2 tsp. of the salt, and cook at a boil, stirring once or twice, until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the vegetables and the remaining liquid to a blender in batches and blend until smooth.

In a pot, prepare a thin bechamel sauce: melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the flour to form a roux, season with 1/2 tsp. salt and the white pepper, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat, then slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Return the pot to medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens a bit and is bubbling, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the smooth celery puree to the pot with the bechamel sauce. Stir well to blend and reheat over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Correct the seasoning if necessary and serve.