Creamy celery & potato soup

This soup has a surprisingly delicate, slightly sweet celery flavour and is an excellent way to use up celery from the garden or your veg box.

Ingredients

• 1 large head of celery, sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 large potato (or 2 small potatoes), peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 25g butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 750ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 100ml double cream
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley or chives, chopped, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the celery starts to soften.
4. Add the potato and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
5. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender.
6. Blend until smooth using a stick blender or countertop blender.
7. Stir in the cream and season well with salt and black pepper.
8. Warm through gently and serve.

To Serve

Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of chopped parsley or chives. For extra flavour, add a little grated mature cheddar or some crispy bacon on top