Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 leek, white portion only, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/3 cup rice
4 cups chicken broth (more if required)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup light cream (half and half)
Fresh parsley, chopped

Place carrots, onion, leek, celery and rice in medium saucepan with 4 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover pan and reduce heat. Simmer gently for 20 - 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the rice is cooked. In a food processor, puree the solids, one third at a time, with a small amount of the broth. When the vegetable mixture is smooth, return to pan and add additional broth if the mixture is too thick. Season to taste, add cream and heat through. Serve garnished with chopped parsley. 4-6 servings.