8/22/14

Cheese Soup

The homemade vegetable broth is thick and central to this soup, but well worth the time and effort it takes to make it. A good kitchen project for a weekend, and I will be posting other recipes that use the broth.

2 tb butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
2 cups homemade vegetable broth (see below)
2 cups light cream or milk
dash of Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp black pepper
2 c grated cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped

Melt butter in heavy pot and sauté onion and carrot till tender but not browned. 
Add broth, bring to boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes. 
Add cream, Tabasco and pepper, and bring to boil. 
Remove from heat and stir in cheese till melted. 
Top with green onions and serve.


Vegetable Broth

½ c vegetable oil
4 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
3 large onions, chopped
6 medium-sized potatoes, diced
3 turnips, diced
3 cups parings from scrubbed carrots, potatoes, turnips, parsnips if available
3 quarts water
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 tb salt
½ tsp pepper
small bunch parsley

Heat oil in large heavy pot and sauté vegetables for 20 minutes, stirring often.
Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, covered partially, and simmer for 2 hours.
When cooled, put through fine sieve or run through blender. 
Cool, chill and freeze in pints or quarts. Makes about 5 quarts.

* from The Natural Foods Cookbook