Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add celery and onion. Cover and stew gently for up to 10 minutes. Add the potato and stir to coat well. Be careful not to let the vegetables brown.
Add the stock. Bring the soup to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer for around 20 minutes.
Puree in a blender. If the celery is particularly stringy you might like to pass it through a sieve. Taste and add salt if necessary – you won’t need much, if any, as celery is a delicate taste and you don’t want to spoil it. A grind of black pepper, however, is an improvement.
Serves four as a light lunch or as an entrée.
* Use a whole chicken to make beautiful chicken stock – Sally Fallon’s ‘Nourishing Traditions’ has a good recipe.
