Post by chief_cook2 on Jan 8, 2003 13:02:13 GMT -6
Do you ever find a very limp bunch of celery stalks in the vegetable drawer? This is a great way
to use up the celery and have a fairly elegant soup to start off your dinner or for a very light lunch.
Feel free to use nice fresh celery.
This recipe is here for our family friend Rick, who just got a computer and on the internet and he requested that I put this recipe on the site for him.
1/4 cup parsley leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 small bunch of celery, about 1 pound, including the leaves,
peeled(yes peeled) and cut up in about 2 inch pieces
3 tbsp. butter
1 large onion, quartered
1 large ripe pear, peeled and seeded and quartered
3 1/2 to 4 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. non-fat cottage cheese or cream cheese
1/4 cup fat-free half and half (or use the good stuff if you can stand the calories)
salt and pepper to taste
Put parsley in a food processor and process until finely minced. Set aside for garnish at the
end.
Add celery and garlic to food processor and pulse a few times to combine and then leave
the machine on constant power for 30 seconds.
Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan and add the celery and onion. Put the pears and onions
in the food processor and mince until very fine. Add to the saucepan. Cover and cook on
medium-low for 10 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer
gently, covered for about 35 minutes. Strain liquid in a large bowl, pressing on solids. Add the
solids back into the food processor and add the cottage cheese. Process the solids until they
are very smooth. If you did not peel the celery this will be difficult, the strings will not become
smooth. Add the solids and the liquid back into the saucepan and add the half and half.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, it should not need much. Garnish with a generous
amount of parsley and serve hot.