Saturday, October 11, 2014

Cheesy Vegetable and Ham Soup

I woke up this morning wishful thinking it was still summer. Before lifting off the covers to feel the cool morning air, I envisioned making some coffee, and strolling out to the garden to have a peek at what the tomatoes were up too. In the real world however, this is what the morning looked like:


 The ground is totally whitened with frost, and it's 26 degrees out. Every year I forget how it feels to be so chilled. 


The frost is of course beautiful, but as always, it came too fast. Once it warms up our day will be spent getting the yard winterized for next year, filling pumpkin bags with frosty leaves that will first serve as decorations, then as covering for our septic, as this winter is supposed to be just as brutal as the one before. Strangely, October has always been my favorite month. There's just something about the transition between such long light-filled days to the burnt and fading colors of fall. Trying to figure out what to do all long cold winter though is on my mind a lot lately, and so of course I go back to my old stand-by of cooking. I've compiled quite an extensive collection of tried and true soups, and after a bit of monkeying around I conjured up a great cheesy vegetable and ham soup recipe.

  • Cheesy Vegetable and Ham Soup

      -2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
      -1 cup diced carrots
    -2 cups diced and peeled potatoes
    -1 cup diced celery
           -1 medium diced onion
      1/4 cup butter
      -1/4 cup all-purpose flour
      -2 cups 2% milk
      -1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
      -1/4 teaspoon pepper
           -1/4 cup parsley
            -1/2 t. thyme
      -2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
      -1-1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
           -1 cup corn
      -1 cup  peas or green beans

  • Directions: 
  • In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, celery, carrot and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.
  • Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir into undrained potato mixture. Add ham, corn  and peas; heat through.
  • *8 servings






Frost away, Mother Nature, we've got some damn fine soup on in the kitchen.

 I adore this cheesy base, it can be translated to just about any other soup your imagination can conjure up that you think would be good with cheese. It can also be made vegetarian easily by just omitting the ham and using white beans. As I prepare myself mentally for winter, I do feel better knowing I have a great arsenal of soup recipes up my sleeve, and will make sure to share them all!

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