Creamy cheesey cheesey cream potato-y goodness!

Nikki and Brandon (my lovely former tea boy) I have finally posted my potato and cheese soup.I know you are dieing from total shock! Call 911 to resuscitate you then make this soup! Bruce I have made this soup with a vegetable stock made from:
3 carrots
4 stalks celery
3 cloves of garlic
2 onions quartered
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
1 rosemary
and water of course

I also used vegan "cheddar cheese" and it tasted about the same. I know I probably don't have to tell you this since you have been meat free for years but this is what I used for a vegan friend (Holy cow Ronnie cooks Vegans!!! Run Veggie lovers! RUN!!!) and it tasted almost the same (OH MY GOSH!!! Ronnie thinks people taste like potatoes!!!).

So here is what you'll need:

2.5 lbs potatoes cut in 1x1 inch cubes you to measure or the soup will turn on you and run away
1 1/2 cup milk
8 oz cheese (I use 6 oz of medium cheddar and 2 oz of sharp. The leftover of medium I use to garnish)
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup onion, sliced
1 tbsp garlic, sliced
1/2 cup flour
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
48 oz chicken stock or vegetable stock

So what do we do?

1) Heat the EVOO in a pot over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add onions and garlic and sweat them. Do not try to brown them it makes the soup taste burnt. Well let me rephrase that, every time I brown the onions and garlic it has a burnt taste to me. You can try if you like. Back to sweating. Sweating, as I understand it, is to cook the vegetables until they are transparent or limp and liquid is released. (Now that was an intelligent answer, considering)

Before sweating

After sauna sweating

2) Next add the 1/2 cup flour and mix.Yes, it will look like a lumpy, clumpy, sticky monster that wants to destroy the world. Trust me it will be okay.

3) Add the stock and mix very well; make sure to scrape the bottom.

See it will look like this. Yummy cloud soup. That's it you're done. Wait we are only on step 3? Oh onto step 4.

4) Now it is time to make it look like a pond. You know the type with little leaves and nefarious floating things? So add the potatoes, thyme and bay leaves. Mix the pond and bring to a boil, not the type that is going to explode all over your kitchen but the nice type that has little bubbles. Cover the pot and after 2 or 3 minutes then lower the heat to lowish. 

See it looks like a pond.

5) Simmer for 25 minutes. I usually check the potatoes at 15 minutes and then make a judgment call based on the doneness readyness softness of the potatoes.

6) My favorite part! Take the bay leaves out of the soup. Why? I really don't know. I just know we do. Google it. Take your device of soupyness and blend the lumps out!!!! BWHAHAHAHA! Sorry about that. Let me explain when I had a glass blender I would use my blender, when I had a food processor that didn't have this weird spout on the side I used it. Sadly both are in appliance heaven. So I now have a blend wand which is the technical term. So just blend away however you see fit. Oh and if silky, creamy soup if not something you enjoy you can use a potato masher for a clumpier heartier version. If you decide to go with the masher I suggest mincing the garlic and onions instead of slicing.

Blendy goodness

7) Add cheese (yes I have a photo) and the milk then mix until cheese is melted and milk is incorporated.

8) Spoon that sucker into some bowls and garnish with some cheese. DO IT! CHEESE IT!!!!

Honey cornbread of deliciousness. Yummers!

9) Enjoy!!! This is for my baby, Marikia! Don't be mean to Mommy and she'll feed you this. If not Auntie Ronnie with rescue you from the mean Mommy and feed you yum yums! Loves yous Nikkis!!!!