Night Kitchen's Cream of Celery Soup

I hate raw celery! However, I realize that it's unique flavour is invaluable to recipes so when I use it, I chop it to the molecular level. A recent sale at my favourite market for "Buy One, Get One FREE!" of celery bunches had me buying them and then trying to figure out what in the world to do with the free bunch that I really didn't need. Enter this recipe. It is from a phenominal cookbook called "Recipes from the Night Kitchen" and is nothing but 143 pages of soups, stews and chowders. The wonder of this recipe is it's simplicity and healthiness without compromising deep, satisfying flavour. Almost every other celery soup I've read requires both flour for thickening and vast amounts of milk or other dairy products. This soup only requires 1/2 a cup of Half and Half and could be easily substituted with soy milk. When I made this soup the first time, I ate 3 bowls of it; it was THAT good! I've since made it each time that celery goes on sale and even toyed with the idea of buying it at full price just to enjoy it's rich but healthful flavour. Although it requires a shallot, I've never used one and it turns out perfect each time. Eventually, I may try it that way but as it stands, it's a 5 star cream of celery soup that fills me up on cold Winter nights.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Yields: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1  large shallot (coarsely chopped)
• 6  scallions (including greens, thinly sliced. Scallions are Green Onions)
• 1  bunch celery (including heart and leaves, thinly sliced)
• 6  cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian)
• 1  large potato (Idaho variety, washed, unpeeled and cubed small)
• 1  tablespoon fresh rosemary (chopped or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄2 cup half-and-half cream (or whipping cream)

Directions

1. Melt butter over low heat in a heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add shallot, scallions, and celery and cook, uncovered, until vegetables begin to soften; around 10-15 minutes.
2. Add broth, potato chunks and rosemary to vegetables and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until celery and potato are very tender, about 25 minutes.
3. Using an immersion stick blender, puree solids until completely smooth or until it reaches a thickness that you would enjoy. Add nutmeg and Half & Half, blend well. Return to heat for 10 minutes to just warm cream.