Cheese and Vegetable Soup Recipe

Cheese and Vegetable Soup Recipe

50 g/2 oz butter or margarine

1 onion, chopped
30 ml/2 tbsp finely chopped celery

25 g/1 oz wholemeal flour

5 ml/1 tsp made mustard
600 ml/1 pt/2.5 cups milk
150 ml vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

100 g/4 oz/1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
100 g/4 oz finely chopped raw mushrooms (optional)
A little cooked sweetcorn (corn), peas, etc. (optional)
Chopped parsley

Method:

Melt the butter or margarine in a pan. Add the onion and celery and fry (saute) for 3 minutes. stirring. Add the flour and mustard and cook for 1 minute. Gradually blend in the milk and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. stirring. Reduce the heat. Cover and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Season and add the cheese and any other ingredients you wish at this point. Cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Pour into warmed bowls and garnish with parsley.

Note. To turn this into a fun main meal for the family, serve each bowl of soup with a side plate containing a selection of crudités to dip and dunk in. e.g. carrot sticks, celery sticks, tomato quarters, raw mushrooms. cauliflower florets, cheese sticks. chunks of fresh bread. etc.