3 tablespoons butter

1 ¹⁄₂ lbs celery ribs, sliced

2 large onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons flour

6 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 -4 dashes hot sauce

salt

white pepper

celery leaves

In a large sauce pan, melt butter, add celery, onions, and garlic. Cook over medium low heat until soft. Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes over low heat. Add chicken broth and bay leaf, bring to a boil reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf, puree (in small batches) in a blender or processor. Add cream, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Reheat and simmer 5 minutes. Garnish with celery leaves. Adapted from Geniuskitchen.com