Celery soup

I heard recently that some people have a particular sense of smell that makes celery repellent to them. I’m not sure it’s true, even though I am one of those people to whom the joy of a raw stick of celery remains a mystery. I don’t like it, neither the taste, nor the vigorously stringy nature of it. Maybe my chewing skills are inadequate.  In my mouth it resembles a mouthful of dental floss, without the minty freshness. Now, cooked celery, that’s another matter. I like it braised, and I love it in soup. If you don’t cook it too long it lends a lovely green to this soup. I puree the soup, putting the fibre to good use, but I also like it with the liquid clear and the celery and other veg sitting in it. In that state I like to grate cheese over it. But I digress, this is a recipe for the smooth pureed version, which I like to enrich with a blob of cream and lots of black pepper or pungent ailloli. You choose.

Cream of celery soup

• 1 Large head of celery
• 2 Onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• Small handful of parsley
• 1 large potato
• Olive oil or butter

·        -  Peel wash and chop all the veg, as appropriate – aim for everything to be chopped to about the same size, to make sure it all cooks at the same pace

·         - In  a heavy based pan melt a knob of butter (or use olive oil) over medium heat

·         - Gently fry the onion, celery and garlic, until the onion is translucent

·        -  Add about two pints, a scant litre of stock, along with the chopped potato

·        -  Simmer gently for around twenty minutes, until everything is cooked, then add the parsley

·        -  Puree, taste and season

- Serve with a spoonful of cream or aioli

This is enough for six hungry people, or eight not so greedy.