Easy Cheesy potato soup

Who doesn't love a big bowl of creamy, cheesy soup?  Unfortunately so often when you order this in restaurants it is loaded with cream, butter and salt (which explains why it rocks).  However, I've created a delicious low fat version loaded with veggies.  It's thick, creamy and cheesy without tons of calories.  It's also easy to make.  Rachel Ray would call it a chop and drop recipe.  It's also versatile and very forgiving.  You can use a variety of veggies, which is why I like it.  I almost always have leftovers veggies from other recipes that I can throw in.  I'll start with the basic and explain how you can modify...

I begin by chopping up one large or two smaller onions (white, yellow or vidaila).  Add that to a large pot on med heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil and give it a stir.  As the onion is cooking peel and chop a carrot or two and add to the pot.  Stir.  Next, scrub up a couple of potatoes (peel if you wish), chop those up and drop them in.  If you have celery, great, chop up a stalk or two and add that as well.  Give all this a good stir then add in some freshly chopped (or jarred) garlic.  I like to add a lot (5-6 large cloves).  You can also use garlic powder if you're in a pinch. 

Once the veggies are starting to soften up and brown just a little, pour in some broth (I use veggie, of course), stock or water.  You just want to cover the veggies.  At this point I often add a bay leaf or two, but this is optional.  Add in a little salt and pepper and let simmer for 30-45 mins, or so.  You may need to add a little broth or water as it cooks away.  You'll know it's ready when the veggies are really soft.  At this point if you've added bay leaf, fish it out and discard.  Remove from heat.

Now it's time to puree.  The easiest way to puree this soup is to use a submersion blender (like the kind you use for milkshakes) because you can do it right in the pot.  But you can also pour it into a traditional blender and puree that way.  Once the soup is pureed, pour it back into the pot (if you used a normal blender) and add the cheese.  How much is really up to you.  For a large pot I use between one and two cups.  The starch from the potatoes already makes the soup creamy and the carrots give it a nice orange color, so I find I don't need a ton of cheese.  But, adjust this to your own taste. 

To serve, ladle into bowls, top with a little grated cheese and sprinkle with fresh chives or scallions.  This is great served with salad and fresh bread.  Happy slurping!

* other veggies I sometimes throw in include, but aren't limited to, leeks, fennel, sweet potato, squash or any other root veggie.  Experiment with your faves or whatever you have on hand!