Soup Time

I love soup in the winter. My grandmother used to can vegetable soup and it was just so beautiful sitting up on shelves in the garage in Mason Jars. I'm not a huge cook anymore since the kids are gone. Jim and I manage to get by with a lot of chicken and vegetables or salad. But come winter......my soup taste buds get going. This is one of my favorites. I have included the quickie version for those pressed for time, as well as the purist verison. For parents who wish to trick their kids into eating veggies, I used to puree cauliflower, carrots, onions and celery and smile wickedly as my two kids chowed down. Gotcha with those vegetables!
Cheesy Potato Soup
Ingredients:
Quickie Version:
1 can condensed potato soup (do not add water)
1 lg. can chicken broth
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup (do not add water)
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 baking potatoes, cut into chunks ( I leave the skins on)
2 carrots, chopped or coined
1 small onion (chopped frozen is good)
about 2 cups milk (I use 2%, but if you subsititute half & half for part of the milk, it's really rich)
2 tbsp butter or olive oil
Seasonings: about 1-2 tbsp of:
italian seasoning
parsley
worcestershire sauce
spicy or dijon mustard

Purist version: Make a bechamel (white) sauce that will give you about 2 cups and add cheese to this. You will subsitute this for the condensed soups.

Boil the cut up potatoes in a saucepan until tender but slightly crisp. In another large saucepot, saute the carrots, celery and onion in butter or oil until the onion is tender. Then add the chicken stock and the soups or the white sauce. Now drain the potatoes and add to the mix. Put your seasonings in and add the milk. Let simmer for about 30 t0 45 minutes. It will thicken as it cooks and you need to occasionally stir the mix to keep potatoes from sticking.
This is best served after it has rested in the fridge for about 24 hours. It tastes good after it's done, but the 24 hour rest really develops the flavors. Doesn't freeze well because the potatoes become crumbly, but that's never stopped me from eating it!

Enjoy it in a handmade bowl! I'm having some for lunch today.