Something I have learned as of yesterday: Those stringy fibrous bits on the back of celery don't belong in a purée. Either that, or my mother's immersion blender is not capable of wrestling with those ropes of cellulose.
Speaking of the immersion blender, I'm starting to wonder if Julia would approve- all of her recipes call for a food mill. What is a food mill?*
The soup was good though, better than any lentils I've ventured to try before. Which is good, because I need all the protein I can get. But it was definitely missing something... maybe it was the optional turnip Julia mentioned? Maybe it was the 3-year-old thyme in the back of the cupboard? Or maybe it was the stringy texture... Either way, I will be adventuring in lentil soup land again until my taste buds sing like they did for Potage Parmentier.
*Note: Google tells me that a food mill is a sort of torture device for cooked vegetables. It probably would have removed my celery strings. But should I buy one? Or just remove the strings... Think I'll be sticking with the latter option, even though it is tempting to shell out $40 on a stainless steal soup filter.
