#1337 - Cream of Celery Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

10 cups water
3 cups finely chopped celery
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to your taste
celery salt to your taste
1 cup milk (hot but not boiling)

In a saucepan add water and chopped celery--bring to a boil, then cook until celery is very tender--drain. In a separate saucepan add butter--melt. Add flour--stir. Slowly add 1 cup milk--cook and stir until thick. Spoon the celery into a sieve over a bowl--push celery through the sieve using a spoon--discard anything caught in the sieve. Pour the bowl of celery into the saucepan with the milk mixture--stir. Add salt, pepper and celery salt to your taste--stir. Keep the heat on simmer, and simmer the celery soup for 10 minutes. Add the cup of hot milk to the celery soup--stir and cook until hot.