Creamy Celery Bisque

The next "aisle one" grocery item was a package of celery hearts and it came with a recipe for Creamy Celery Bisque on the wrapper. We thought we'd give it a try. It's actually quite good, a bit on the thin side and not as smooth as I expected, but we quite liked it for lunch today.

Creamy Celery Bisque

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup uncooked rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the celery, onion and carrots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the seasonings and rice and stir for a minute before adding the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Add to blender with the cream and process until smooth. Serve immediately.