Celery and Stilton Soup

We are on half-term this week and although the weather has been cold, today we have a brilliant sunny day. The washing is blowing on the line and I have started to tidy up the leaves and put the garden to bed for the winter.

What was needed for a warming lunch was a bowl of celery and Stilton soup with home-made crusty bread.

 

Remember the chicken stock?

 

 

It's been strained and set aside to cool.

(I didn't need all of it, so two portions have gone in the freezer!)

 

 

I gently fried some chopped celery (including the leaves) and one onion in a good knob of butter for about 10 minutes, until the onion has started to soften.

 Added the strained chicken stock....

 

 

... and left to simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the celery was soft.

Add chunks of Stilton (not too much as it is a strong taste)  and wait for it to melt.

Season to taste, then blitz with a stick blender/food processor

or push through a mouli.

 

This pan made 3 large bags of soup for the freezer. The celery was going soft in the bottom of the fridge and was past its best for salad.

You can use the same method for any 'seen better days' vegetables.

There's only one problem with this sort of lunch - afterwards, I feel like going to sleep rather than getting back out into the garden! It's getting dark by 4.30 p.m. now though so I'll plough on as we can't be sure of the weather at the moment. If nothing else, I must get the geraniums into the greenhouse before the frost comes.

What's your favourite winter-warming soup?