Vermont Cheddar Soup

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know a bit about my love and affection for Vermont, and if you don't and really want to know you can click here and here.  And love it I do...but I love it most of all when the wildflowers are blooming, the corn is in the meadow, and it's warm enough to dance on the top of your car.

Disclaimer: that is NOT me.  It may or may not be someone who is related to me who got bored while I was shooting pictures on the side of the road, put some Aerosmith on the car stereo and entertained herself while at the same time thoroughly confusing all the cows in the vicinity.

I promise I am getting to the point.

The point is that for much of the year in Vermont, you don't want to be anywhere near the top of the car.  You want to be inside with a fire in the woodstove and a pot of nice warm cheese soup on the table.  Made with Vermont cheddar cheese, please.  We like Cabot cheddar and have gone to buying it in big (of course) chunks at Costco.  This quick and easy soup involves sauteeing just a little bit of onion and garlic in a little butter, adding in some flour as a thickener and a mixture of chicken broth and milk as the soup base, and then a nice helping of that shredded cheddar.  Done!  Now all you have to do is think up some garnishes...I used some roasted cherry tomatoes and some croutons.  Bacon would of course be fabulous.  (Because bacon on anything is fabulous.)

I think that's all I have to say about this one, except give it a try asap!

Vermont Cheddar Soup, adapted from Simply Elegant Country Foods : Downhome Goes Uptown 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespooons chopped onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 cups milk
• 3 cups grated Vermont cheddar
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcerstershire sauce
• Pinch dry mustard and salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Croutons

1. Melt butter in soup pot and add onion and garlic.  Stir for 3 minutes.

2. Add flour and whisk until mixed, then slowly pour in broth and then milk, whisking until blended.  Bring to a slow boil and cook until slightly thickened, 5-10 minutes.

3. Add cheese, Worcerstershire sauce and mustard, stirring until cheese is melted.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Now either carefully pour into a blender and puree, or even better, puree right int the pot with an immersion blender.

4. Make roasted cherry tomatoes by tossing with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, spreading on a baking sheet lined with foil, and roasting in a 425 oven for 10 minutes.

5. Ladle into bowls (heating the bowls beforehand in a 200 degree oven is nice!) sprinkle with paprika and garnish with the roasted tomatoes and some croutons.

Click here for printable recipe