Cream of Celery Soup
My friend Carol's Recipe (with bastardizing modifications to the cream by me)
makes about 4 servings
1. Clean a bunch of celery (discard any old stalks)
2. Chop into medium slices
3. Chop two onions (sweet or yellow)
4. Add olive oil (about 2 Tbs) to a large dutch oven and heat to medium
5. Add onion to pot, soften - do not brown
6. Add celery and cook for approximately 5 minutes
7. Add defatted chicken broth (approximately 36 oz.)
8. Cook on low heat for at least an hour until vegetables are very soft
9. Cool the soup
10. Add to blender and blend until smooth
11. Return blended soup to the pot
12. Add approximately 0.5 cup heavy cream, Half & Half or Fat Free Half & Half
13. Season with black pepper to taste (adjust salt to taste)
14. Garnish with nutmeg.
This is insanely easy and wonderful with shrimp salad or tuna salad. It is also low carb to fit with the current fads and is moderatley lipid healthy as well considering the dairy is only 1/8 of a cup per person and if desired can be modified with the use of the Fat Free Half & Half. The other oil is a heart healthy olive oil.
At Sneff's request I'll tell you a bit about Carol. Carol, Susan and I are a group of friends. We form what we variously call "Team Clean", "Therapy in Action", or "Clutter Busters". Basically, we spend a day working together as close to weekly as possible. We rotate whose home we work in. The lucky recipient of that week's efforts prepares a meal for us or occasionally we eat out. I first had this Cream of Celery Soup at Carol's served with shrimp salad and homemade scones. We work together to tackle those projects that are so hard to do alone, de-cluttering, cleaning, organizing our homes and lives. We know each other quite intimately and can see into the closets that others are not allowed to view.
Carol is a nurse who has a passion for cooking. She bakes Christmas cookies and sells them at a loss (especially if her time were to be included). Her children are grown and she lives alone in a small condo. Her kitchen is being remodeled in a few weeks and our next team cleaning effort will be to box up her huge collection of cooking tools.
Carol doesn't "do" computers. She would never substitute Fat Free Half & Half for cream.
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