Celery sometimes gets taken for granted – it is often a secondary ingredient, or flavour-builder for other dishes, but this simple soup allows celery to shine. Another plus is that this homemade soup takes almost no time to make, and is certainly cost-effective.
From “In the Kitchen with Anna: New Ways with the Classics”, Whitecap Books, 2008
Photo by Michael Olson
ingredients
directions
Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and celery until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Sift in flour and stir with a wooden spoon, cooking for 4 minutes, until it has a nutty aroma but does not change colour. Add ½ cup of the milk and stir vigorously, to create paste coating the vegetables. Switch to a whisk add remaining milk, 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Whisk in the chicken stock, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until the celery is tender. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the vermouth. Season to taste.
Serve the soup topped with crumbled blue cheese and chopped chives.