Cream of Celery Soup

The clocks have turned back, signifying the beginning of winter and the end of summer! I quite like winter! Because with winter comes soups, roasts, casseroles, anything slow-cooked to keep the chill at bay! I created this hearty soup because...

1. although I like winter, the fact that it gets dark so early depresses me slightly, and a bowl of hearty soup really cheers me up (that and a huge slice of cake!)
2. Celery was on reduce and it was super cheap!

It's perfect to curl up with in front of the TV during those cold dark winter months. I'm not a fan of celery but because it was so cheap I couldn't resist! Nevertheless this soup is really delicious! Boil the celery first to reduce the pungent taste

Cream of Celery Soup
Serves 2

• 150ml of stock (I used homemade pork stock)
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• quarter of an onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 160ml hot milk
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Croutons (optional)
• Parsley (optional)

1. Boil the celery for 3 minutes. Drain.
2. Pour the stock into a large pot, and bring to a boil. Add the celery, carrots, garlic and onion to the pot.
3. Whisk together flour and milk, slowly pour milk mixture into the pot. Add the butter to the soup. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Simmer for 10minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend to a puree, then pour into pot to reheat.
5. Top with croutons and parsley and serve with crusty bread!

Enjoy!