Leftovers 411 – Celery Soup

If you asked most people what celery soup is, they would tell you that it comes in a can and is used in casseroles.Years ago I would have said the same thing.  Maybe you would too.  But I got the opportunity to see just what celery soup really could be.

When I was in high school, my parents owned a restaurant.  For a period of time we had chef who it seemed to me could work magic in the kitchen.  He made some delicious things, that I had never tasted before.  And I had tasted a lot of things because my family loved to cook and loved to eat.  We cooked and ate great food at home and we ate out about three nights a week in every fine restaurant in Los Angeles.  Still, with all those food experiences, I had never tasted cream of celery soup, until one cold evening in my parents restaurant.

It seemed that a mistake had been made in an order from the supplier that delivered fresh produce to the restaurant several times a week.  They had delivered two cases of celery instead of a case each of celery and one of peppers.  So when the cooks opened the case and realized that we had an over abundance of celery, the chef didn’t hesitate to come up with a way to use it.  The weather had turned quite cool and a great bowl of soup seemed like just the thing to put on the menu as a special item.  In what seemed like a flash that “leftover” case of celery was transformed into a creamy, delicious, steaming soup.  With a dollop of sour cream and some fresh croutons on top, it hit the spot on that cold evening and quickly became a favorite with customers.

When my husband and I both independently bought a couple of stalks of celery at the market a couple of weeks ago,  I was faced with the same dilemma as had been the case in my parents restaurant (on a much smaller scale of course).  So rather than let all that celery get limp and go bad in the refrigerator, I decided to recreate that celery soup I had enjoyed so much years before.

I had nearly forgotten how satisfying and yummy this creamy soup could be.  Randy loved it, so it is safe to say celery soup will be making regular appearances on our table at least during the cool weather season.  With only a few common ingredients you probably have at home right  now,  it is so simple and quick to make and served with a Caesar salad and some warm French bread it is a perfect weeknight meal….enjoy:)

Cream of Celery Soup

1 stalk of celery
1/2 onion
several springs of fresh thyme
3 tablespoons butter
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream
Croutons 

Chop the celery being sure to use the whole stalk, leaves and all (The leaves are where the most intense flavor comes from).

Chop the onion and saute it along with the celery and thyme leaves in butter just until soft.  (To get the leaves off the stems of thyme, hold the stem at the top and with your other hand strip the leaves from the top of the stem down, pulling the leaves between your fingers the opposite way the leaves grow.)

When the vegetables are soft add the chicken stock and bring it to the boil.  Continue cooking at a simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Puree the stock and vegetables in the blender or a food processor in batches.  Be careful as blending or processing hot food can cause the liquid to expand and create steam.  Return the pureed soup to the pan and then pour in the cream.  Taste and adjust seasoning adding salt and pepper as needed.

Heat through and serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and croutons.

As you can plainly see this soup is quite green so if corned beef isn’t something you enjoy, this soup and a loaf of Irish Soda Bread could make a perfect St. Patrick’s Day meal.  Just a thought…a simple bowl of soup, soda bread and a touch of blarney….what could be more Irish?  🙂