Easy Cheesy Vegetable Soup with Bacon

This soup is so good, my family ate the entire pot of soup, even though I intended for there to be leftovers and without pausing for bread or toast, before I had even turned off my photo shooting lights!  (Next time, I will make a double- no, triple - batch!)

I adapted this recipe from an easy broccoli cheese soup recipe in my cookbook.  After canning baby food this week, I had some odd and ends of a handful of veggies in my fridge.  This assortment blended together beautifully!

It is easy to adapt this recipe to use any type of vegetable.  Just add them to the simmering broth in whatever order for whatever amount of time necessary to achieve tenderness at the same time.  If that makes sense.

Easy Cheesy Vegetable Soup

4 cups chicken stock
4 cups chopped veggies (I used parsnip, carrot, waxy potato, brussel sprouts and cauliflower)
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 heaping tablespoons flour
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese, divided
Salt and pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil and add parsnips.  Simmer about 5 minutes, then add carrots and potatoes.  Simmer about 10 minutes and add cauliflower and brussel sprouts.  Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until tender.  Do not drain.

In a soup pot over medium heat, cook bacon for several minutes until partially cooked but not browned.  Add onions and garlic and cook until tender but not browned.  Push your bacon and onions to the edges of the pot and add butter to the center of the pot.  When the butter has melted, sprinkle flour over the butter.  Stir and cook for a minute, then stir the bacon mix and the flour mix together.

Pour veggies and chicken stock into the soup pot.  Stir and bring the liquid to boil, scraping the bottom of the pot and stirring until it thickens.  Add corn and milk.  Simmer gently for several minutes.  Remove from the heat and add about 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese in 1/2 cup increments.  Stir each addition until melted before adding the next.  Add salt and black pepper to taste.  Serve hot topped with remaining shredded cheese and more black pepper.  (It's really good with lots of pepper, in my opinion.)

Enjoy!