From the Garden...Celery Soup

We’ve been trying some less expensive recipes lately, and we found we really liked this one adapted from “Practical Produce."   When have you ever tasted celery soup except from a can?  Well, you’re missing something!  My husband said “There’s something that really tastes good in here”.  I thought it all tasted good, but home canned chicken broth that doesn’t taste like dishwater, and the butter for sautéing the vegetables can’t hurt!    We topped ours with a teaspoon of sour cream (left from mixing up the muffins) and crumbled a little bacon on top, but it isn’t really necessary for the taste. 

The rest of our economical meal included a simple chopped salad with homemade dressing, a homemade “morning muffin”, and a handful of garden raspberries Myrna brought to us at morning coffee time sprinkled over some home-canned peaches.             

                               Celery Soup

  1 1/2    tablespoons  Butter

  2           cups  Diced Celery -- and leaves if desired  (8 ounces)

     1/2    cup  Onion -- diced (3 ounces)

     1/4     teaspoon  Basil

  2           cups  Chicken Broth -- (1 pint canned)

    2         Tablespoons  Flour

     1/2    cup  Milk

               Salt and Pepper -- to taste

Sauté celery and onions in butter for 5-8 minutes.  Add basil and broth and simmer 10-15 minutes.

Blend flour into milk, add salt and pepper.  Add to soup, mixing well, cook, stirring constantly until soup thickens.

If desired, top servings with a teaspoon of sour cream and some crumbled cooked bacon.

Yield:  "1 Quart” about 4 servings