Hobbit Stew

It's a well-known fact that Hobbits love mushrooms.  Alas! not all children do.  But children love Hobbits, and anything associated with Hobbits will, at the very least, merit more than a passing grimace.

When I first made this soup, I was trying to tempt the pickiest of my eaters into trying just one bite.  Rather than highlight the word mushroom, I renamed this soup and lamented all of the poor little Hobbits who gave their lives to make our soup tastier.

Hobbit Stew is now the most requested lenten meal in our house, mushrooms are tried in other forms, and Z mourns for the tender Hobbits every time she eats a mushroom.

Hobbit Stew: The Recipe
serves 3 hungry Hobbits and 2 Big People

(The quantities are just guesses.  I typically just throw things into the pot, so please adjust  to your taste.)

Sauté in 2 T olive oil until soft:
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 pound sliced mushrooms (white or baby bella)
1 clove garlic, crushed

Add, and sauté one minute further:
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Add, and stir a minute or two further:
enough water to cover the bottom of the pot and keep the cornstarch bits from sticking

Add:
4 yellow potatoes, diced
2 quarts vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
(Any other vegetable of your choosing.  I added zucchini the last time I made the soup.)
pinch thyme

Boil until potatoes are tender.

Using either an immersion blender or regular blender, blend a portion of the soup, leaving some nice chunks of mushroom and potato.  I serve the soup with crusty bread and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy!