Green Soup

Had folks over for a Christmas-y party last night: Strip loin roast (a little overcooked, but still very good), asparagus (way overcooked--I forgot about it in the oven--but still very good), mashed potatoes, and a soup that I think is really good for the holidays, as it's warm and creamy and GREEN. It doesn't have an official name, so you may call it what you like.

1 Bunch of Celery, sliced
1 bag or 2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can chicken broth
1 can artichoke hearts
1-1/2 quarts milk
1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1 tsp black pepper
pinch of salt

Heat the olive oil in a medium-to-large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the celery, green onions, and salt and saute for five minutes, until the celery starts to soften a little. Pour in the chicken broth, add black pepper, and cook uncovered over medium heat for ten-fifteen minutes, until chicken broth is reduced by about half and vegetables are tender. Transfer to a food processor or blender and process until smooth--use caution as hot liquid tends to shoot out the top of the blender and get over everything if you aren't careful.

You can stop at this point, put the soup base (the green mess you just made) into a storage container and refrigerate for a day or two, or probably freeze it for a good long while. When you're ready to go, just put it in a soup pot over low heat and bring it up to a simmer slowly.

Assuming you're cooking the whole thing now, transfer the soup base to a large soup pot over low heat and add the artichokes and milk. When the mixture gets good and hot, add the mozzerella a little at a time fo melt and slightly thicken the soup.

It almost qualifies as healthy, but if you want to make an artery clogging version you can probably substitute cream for the milk and leave the cheese out entirely.