Cream of Celery Soup with Blue Cheese

This is a recipe for one person.  My reason for making the single portion firstly, is that I am cooking for one.  It is a quick, nutritious lunch and probably a soup that I would not freeze.  I cook for one and it is time for me to share my 'cooking for one' recipes.  Rather than using crispy, crumbled bacon for garnish, I am using the duck cracklings that I have in the fridge. 

If you don't like blue cheese you could substitute any good melting cheese, or just eliminate it altogether.  There is no cream in this recipe so this little bit of cheese also adds richness.  This is a cream soup not a puree and there will be pieces of onion and celery in the soup.  You could puree it if you wish and have a completely smooth soup but it is not a thick soup.  You could add more flour and some cream to make a thick soup, but then it adds more calories!  You decide!

Cream of Celery Soup with Blue Cheese

2 T finely diced sweet onions
1/2 c sliced or diced celery
1 T butter
1 T all purpose flour
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t ground coriander
sprinkle of white pepper
1/4 t sea salt
1 c flavourful chicken stock
1 c low fat milk
2 T white vermouth or fino sherry
cube of blue cheese about 1" square
1 slice of bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

Gently saute the onion and celery in the butter until tender but not browned.  Sprinkle with flour and make a roux.  Add seasonings.

Stir in stock, milk and vermouth and heat to a simmer.  Cook until thickened and add blue cheese.  Continue to simmer and stir until cheese has melted throughout the soup.  The soup is ready.

Pour into a serving bowl and garnish with crispy bacon bits or cracklings and the leafy part of the celery stalk.