RECIPE

Dinner Tonight: Cream of Vegetable Soup

11/4/2013

The great advantage of this recipe submitted by Sherry Wesolowski of Maumee, is its versatility. It begins with a few set ingredients, and then it provides numerous suggestions of other ingredients to change and personalize it — complete with the cooking times of each. By mixing and matching, you can make dozens of different variations on this one soup.

Cream of Vegetable Soup

• 1½ cups chicken broth
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup milk
• Optional ingredients:
• 2 cups cauliflower florettes (10 minutes)
• 2 cups broccoli florettes (10 minutes; cook with thyme, garlic, and bay leaf, removing the bay leaf after simmering)
• 1½ cup shelled peas (8 minutes; cook with minced ham and sage)
• 1 cup bite-sized potato pieces (10 minutes, cook with dill)
• 1 cup bite-sized carrot pieces (12 minutes, cook with parsley and basil)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring broth to a simmer. Add onion and one or more — or all —of the optional vegetables, and simmer for the allotted time. Remove broth mixture from pan.

Melt butter in same pan. In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together flour, salt, pepper, and milk. Slowly add to melted butter, stirring until thick.

Stir in cooked vegetables and broth. Can double or triple recipe.

— Sherry Wesolowski

Have a recipe that is fast and healthy? Send it to food@theblade.com or Dinner Tonight, The Blade, 541 N. Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660.