I’ll be totally honest celery is hands down my least favorite vegetable. But like a lot of veggies, the celery in our CSA shares is completely different! The stalks are thinner and full of leaves that can be used for garnish or just chopped into the dish. Another thing that annoys me is that most recipes call of one or two stalks of celery and then the rest wilts in my fridge. I used half a celery head for this soup, and a double batch will use the whole thing. This soup is perfect for the end of summer, fresh potatoes, carrots and celery in a creamy yet light soup. A great way to gently ease into fall.
I probably don’t have to point out that for omnivores bacon would be a great addition to this combo, and grated cheddar is the perfect garnish if you want something even heartier. The creaminess comes from 2 cups of whole milk, so it’s satisfying but still fairly light. Dice everything into uniform pieces, it will give the soup a nice texture. Reserve a few of the celery leaves for garnishing the soup.
Once everything is diced, the soup is very easy. Use butter and oil to cook all of the vegetables together in the pan, then simmer them in stock.
The milk and flour are whisked together and then added at the end of cooking to thicken the soup. Gluten free flour can easily be subbed, I’ve had good results using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour as a thickener in soups and gravies.
This soup gets added creaminess by pureeing half of it and then adding it back to the pan. This way you get the best of both worlds, a thick soup with chunks of veggies. If you have a large glass measuring cup transfer about half the soup out of the pot and purée with an immersion blender. You can also transfer it to a blender, use caution when blending hot liquids.
Potato & Celery Chowder
3-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
4 stalks (about half a head) of celery, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup flour or GF flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Cook all of the vegetables for about 10 minutes stirring so they don’t stick to the pan. Add stock and salt, then simmer for about 10 more minutes until potatoes are softened. Whisk together milk and flour to make a slurry. Add the milk to the pan and cook on low for about 5 minutes, stirring with a whisk, until thickened. Turn off the heat. Transfer half of the soup to a blender or tall measuring cup if using an immersion blender and purée. Pour soup back into the pan, taste and just seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Garnish with chopped celery leaves, bacon, sour cream, or grated cheddar.
