Cream of Celery (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
01 -
3 tablespoons of plain butter, split for use.
02 -
1 big onion, chopped into fine pieces.
03 -
1 1/2 cups of cleaned and sliced leeks (stick to the white and light green parts).
04 -
6 1/2 cups of freshly chopped celery, split into portions.
05 -
2 garlic cloves, minced into tiny bits.
06 -
4 cups of high-quality chicken broth.
07 -
2 fresh bay leaves for flavor.
08 -
1 1/2 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt. Adjust if needed.
09 -
1/3 cup of rich heavy cream.
10 -
Ground black pepper, as much as you'd like.
11 -
Fresh parsley or chives to sprinkle on top.
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a big pot. Toss in onion, leeks, and 5 cups of celery. Let everything cook until they're soft—about 10 minutes.
02 -
Stir in the minced garlic and let it cook just long enough to release the smell—about a minute.
03 -
Pour in the broth and drop in the bay leaves. Sprinkle with salt and bring it to a boil. Then lower the heat, cover, and let it gently cook for 15 minutes.
04 -
In a separate pan, melt the last tablespoon of butter. Cook the leftover 1 1/2 cups celery with about 1/2 cup of soup broth for 5-6 minutes, until tender.
05 -
Take out the bay leaves. Use either an immersion blender or a regular blender to mix the soup until it’s smooth.
06 -
Add the cream and cooked celery chunks back into the soup. Adjust with salt and pepper if needed. Top it off with your choice of fresh herbs.
# Notes:
01 -
For great results, choose crisp, fresh celery.
02 -
You can make this in advance and reheat it gently when needed.
03 -
Taste the salt level—stocks and butter may already contain some.