Mid Western Chowder

We made this soup last night and it was excellent. Easy to do and done pretty quickly, it makes a great week night soup!


Mid-Western Chowder--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Recipe By: Bend Bulletin
Serving Size: 8
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 small potatoes, chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow squash,
sliced1 carrot, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
1 dash nutmeg
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups 2% low-fat milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:In large skillet, saute onion and celery in butter or olive oil until just tender. Add spices (except fresh parsley), vegetables and potatoes to pan. Pour in 1 cup of the chicken broth and bring to low boil for two minutes. Turn heat down and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove pan from heat. In large soup pot, melt 1/4 C butter on medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and blend well, until paste is formed. Slowly add milk and remaining 1/2 C of chicken broth. Heat through, stirring with whisk. Add cheese and stir until melted. Carefully pour vegetable mixture from the saute pan into the soup kettle. Add dijon mustard and wine and stir gently. Salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and ladle into bowls. Serve with warm French bread.
. *The recipe in my newspaper omitted the flour from the ingredient list, so I'm not sure how much it was supposed to be. I used 1/3 cup and it seemed to be about right.

NOTES : substitute other veggies if you'd like, such as broccoli or cauliflower.Add a bit of chipotle
We added corn to the final product and it's definitely a good addition.