Homegrown celery soup with homemade spelt bread, using outside and frozen stems from Green Utah
Useful for using up frozen, or tough and stringy outside stems to prevent food waste.
If frozen, rinse celery stems quickly in cold water to clean, then chop and blitz immediately before it thaws. Amounts are approximate, and not necessary to follow slavishly – a small bit more won’t matter, so don’t waste any! (To ‘veganise’ – substitute olive oil for butter, and veg stock for the chicken stock)
1 & ¼ lb/560g celery (If very stringy/blotchy on outside remove with peeler)
2 med. red onions (6-7 oz) (Red onions higher in antioxidant Quercetin)
1 large potato (5-8oz scrubbed – no need to peel)
Blitz these until chopped finely in processor, then sweat in –
2oz/55g butter
Add 1 & ½ pint/900ml chicken stock, homemade or organic stock cube (I use Kallo organic cubes if necessary)
½ tsp celery seeds if wished (but still nice without)
Simmer all above 10-15 mins until cooked
Then add ½ pint/300ml full fat milk
Taste and season with freshly ground black pepper and salt (if needed)
Liquidise well with immersion blender, or after cooling a little, in stages in a high-speed blender like a Nutribullet (this ensures smooth soup with no stringy bits)
Thin more with milk or stock if wished. Add a swirl of cream or kefir, and garnish with some chopped celery leaves and chopped walnuts to serve.
Any left over and cooled can be stored in fridge for 5-6 days. One 500 ml jar = 2 good portions – I find it handy to store it like this for quick meals.