Macaroni Soup (Thick)

Ingredients

• 1 medium Onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium Carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks Celery stalks, chopped (Represents 'a small head of celery')
• 1 small Turnip, peeled and chopped (Use a very small quantity)
• 1.5 cups Water (Just enough to boil the vegetables)
• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 1 cup Macaroni pasta (Broken into 2-inch pieces if using long macaroni)
• 1 tbsp Butter (For the roux)
• 1 tbsp All-purpose flour (For the roux)
• 1 leaf Bay leaf
• 0.25 cup Heavy cream
• 1 tsp Salt (To taste)
• 0.5 tsp White pepper (To taste)
• 1 cup Fried or toasted bread cubes (croutons) (For serving)

Instructions

1. 1Peel and roughly chop the onion, carrot, celery, and turnip into small uniform pieces.
2. 2Place the chopped vegetables in a pot with a small quantity of water (just enough to cover them). Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about an hour until very soft.
3. 3Rub the boiled vegetables and their cooking liquid through a wire sieve into a clean bowl to create a smooth puree. Discard any fibrous solids left in the sieve.
4. 4In the soup pot, bring the quart of milk to a boil. Watch carefully to ensure it does not boil over.
5. 5Add the vegetable puree to the boiling milk. Add the bay leaf and the macaroni (broken into 2-inch pieces). Reduce heat and simmer until the macaroni is perfectly tender.
6. 6While the soup simmers, prepare a white roux. In a small pan, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes without browning. Whisk a ladle of the hot soup into the roux to temper it, then pour the mixture back into the main soup pot to thicken it.
7. 7Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cream. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Heat through gently but do not boil vigorously after adding the cream.
8. 8Serve hot with fried or toasted bread (croutons) on the side or floating on top.