It's Soup Season!

Around here, most people look forward to the first day of deer season.  But for me, it's the start of soup season.  All summer it's been hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk and the last thing I wanted to do was fix or eat something hot.  But now there's frost in the morning and the smell of leaves burning and when I come in from walking the dog I want, no need, something to warm my inards.

This summer I got a free box of old Taste of Home Annual recipes and I've been just waiting for the day to load up the stock pot and test out some new soups.  The first one is a winner---from 1999, here's my version of ....

Garden Chowder

1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
5 cups total of your choice of chopped vegetables (I used potato, cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots)
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used whole)
2 cups shedded colby cheese

In a large stock pot, suate red peppers and onions in butter until tender.  Add the remaining veggies, stock, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.  Combine milk and flour until smooth, stir into the pot.  Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Makes 2 quarts