A soup of three celeries...

I enjoy making soups and this one is a real winter treat.  There is not so much to it but it really is filling!

1 kg / 2 lb  celeriac (celery root)

450 g/ 1 lb  celery (stalks) 

3 to 4 tablespoons of cashew nut purée (health food store or whiz up your own)

1 teaspoon of crushed celery seeds (you can use celery salt but add less and make the stock weaker - you don't want to over salt it)

1.5 (just over 6 cups) litres of vegetable stock

Peel and dice the celery root into cubes and put in a large pot to cook with the vegetable stock.  The celery stalks need to be cut across the grain finely or the soup will be stringy. You can also use a peeler to remove the outside. Add the cut celery stalks to the pot and cook this all for half an hour until the root is soft.  Blend the soup in a machine in small batches if it is hot (allow for the steam to push up!) or use a hand blender in the pot directly.  Add in the purée of cashews and blend again until smooth.  Adjust the seasoning (salt and black pepper) and add water if too thick or reduce if too thin! Garnish with a few cashew nuts.

This will warm your soul... and with no cream! (I am still trying to be a bit good!!)