Carrot and Cheddar Soup

The close of another gorgeous Autumn day in Upper Austria. Here are two of my amazing grandchildren eating soup I made. Karotten und Kaese. They liked it! I've made this soup for 25 years and it has always been well received.

Carrot and Cheese Soup
2 cups water
1 small onion, diced
3 cups finely chopped carrots,
2 teaspoons chicken stock paste (or chicken bullion)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
Place water, carrots, onions and chicken stock paste in a large sauce pan. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until carrots are very soft. Puree with an immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender) until very smooth. While the carrots are cooking, make a rue with the butter and flour by melting the butter in a skillet until frothy then stir in the flour and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Slowly pour in milk, stirring constantly until all lumps are gone. Sprinkle dry mustard over cheese and then stir into the milk mixture. Continue stirring until the cheese has melted completely. Combine the cheese sauce with the carrot puree and heat through. Check for seasoning and add salt if needed. Serve warm.

Hints: Making the soup thicker or thinner is easily accomplished by manipulating the amount of flour in the white sauce. Increase or decrease the butter by the same amount. You can also thin the final soup with a bit of water or milk. I usually peel the carrots but not always. Using a food processor is good for preparing the carrots or grating them works well, too. I like to use mild cheddar for my soup but I have used medium and it is good. Sharp cheddar is a bit too strong for the carrots and over powers them, so I don't use it. This soup holds well for a day or two in the fridge and can be made ahead. I have never tried to freeze it--never had any left over more than a day. If you use a blender for pureeing the carrots, be sure to hold the lid tightly as the heated liquid will explode yielding a mess, a need for new dinner plans and worst case, severe burns.

I was surprised that this recipe was not on this blog yet. I make it frequently as it has ingredients that are generally on hand in my kitchen. You probably have them, too. I have served this as a main course, a first course and as a second course. For lunch or dinner. In bread bowls, in Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall. So versatile!