1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled & roughly diced
3 tbsp. finely chopped yellow onion
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. finely chopped carrot
3 tbsp. finely chopped celery
5 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. milk
2 c. homemade meat broth or 1/2 c. canned beef broth, mixed with 1 1/2 c. water
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

1. Put the potatoes and just enough cold water to cover in a stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook at a moderate boil until potatoes are tender. Puree the potatoes with their liquid through a food mill; put back into pot. Set aside.

2. In a skillet, saute the chopped onion, with all the butter and oil, over medium heat until pale gold in color. Add the chopped carrot and celery and cook for about 2 minutes, but not long enough to let the vegetables become soft, since you want them to be crunchy in the soup.

3. Add the entire contents of the skillet to the pureed potatoes in the pot. Turn on the heat to medium and add the grated Parmesan cheese, milk and broth. Stir and cook at a steady simmer for a few minutes, until the cooking fat floating on the surface is dispersed throughout the soup and the consistency of the soup is that of liquid cream. Add salt to taste. (Bear in mind that this soup will thicken as it cools in the plate; if the soup is too dense, simply add equal parts of broth and milk as required.)

4. When done, mix in the parsley off the heat. Serve in warm soup plates and additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese on the side.