Cream Of Celery Soup

Another Moosewood cookbook recipe. Soup sounds so good when it's snowy outside!

2 average person’s fist-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups chopped celery ( in 1-inch chunks)
1 heaping cup very finely minced celery, taken from the innermost stalks
3 cups water
1 ¼ tsp salt (plus another ½ tsp. later)
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 heaping cup finely minced onion
1 tsp. Celery seed
1 cup rice milk, warmed
white pepper, to taste
4 Tbsp. rice milk powder, or Dari-Free powder
Freshly minced chives and/or parsley for garnish

Place potatoes, 4 cups of celery, water and 1 ¼ tsp. salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn the heat way down and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes ~ until everything is soft. Place in blender, along with powdered milk substitute. Puree, and transfer back to saucepan.

Melt margarine in a small skillet. Add finely chopped onion and celery, celery seed, plus ½ tsp. Salt. Saute 8-10 minutes ~until the vegetables are just tender. Add to puree in large saucepan.

Top with optional garnish and serve gently warmed.

Use above method to make cream of mushroom soup. Substitute mushrooms for the celery, and replace celery seed with 2 tsp. garlic powder.