On a crisp sunny Autumnal day, when those beautiful golden, orange and fiery red leaves are chasing themselves around the yard, there is nothing better than  a large bowl of piping hot soup and a good novel or movie (whichever you prefer!)

Of all the soups I make, this recipe, which combines celery root (celeriac) and the simplest of ingredients plus a dose of Stilton Cheese magic is right up there in my top 10 of all time. It is just perfect for those days when the daylight fades and winter shadows encroach.  It is flavorsome, silky and filling and  if you love celery as much as me, then it will be just perfect for you too!

Ingredients (for 4-6 servings)

Just a handful of ingredients needed

• 1 x medium large celery root celery roots peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 x medium waxy potatoes (I used Yukon yellow potatoes) peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 x large onion diced
• 3 x sticks of celery diced
• 2  x cups / 500 ml of Vegetable Stock
• 1 x tbsp Marmite (a British yeast spread available in many stores or on Amazon)
• 2 x Bay leaves
• 2 x tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 x tbsp of half n half / single cream
• 1.5 oz of Stilton Cheese chopped (save a little to decorate)
• Salt and Pepper to season

Chopping, sauteing and simmering – the stages of soup

Method

• Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan on a medium high heat, add the chopped vegetables and saute for between 5 to 10 minutes or until tender
• Pour in the stock and marmite add the bay leaves, season and bring to the boil
• Top up with another 2 cups / 500 ml of boiling water (more or less depending how thick you like your soup!)
• Simmer with a lid on the pan for around 30 minutes
• Remove the pan from the heat, take out the bay leaves crumble up the Stilton cheese into the cooking pan and add the cream
• Blend the soup, cheese and cream with a hand held blender or in a liquidizer until the soup forms a smooth creamy consistency, taste and season as necessary

Serve immediately, with a chunk of crusty bread and forget the cold!