Vegetable Chowder

Today was a chilly rainy day. So I decided today would be a perfect day to try out a new recipe I came across somewhere on the internet. Well the recipe gave me the idea but I changed a good bit of it. I have been wanting to do a soup and salad day for a long time and finally it was cool enough outside to do it. My husband isn't usually happy with a non-meat meal but we garnished our chowder with bacon, so it was all good. I made up a simple garden salad and baked up a fresh loaf of bread and it was a perfect meal. 

For my salads I don't toss the stuff together because we all like different things. I bought a bag of lettuce from the store. I chopped up some tomatoes, fresh broccoli, and green onions. Then I grated some cheddar cheese and carrots. I also chopped up and fried a package of thick-sliced bacon. The cheese, bacon and green onions serve the dull propose of salad toppers and soup garnishes. 

Then for the bread I cheated. Yep that's right I went the short cut way and used frozen bread dough. I have 4 kids so I think I am entitled to cheat now and again, LOL. Plus I haven't found a regular bread recipe that I like yet.

Now onto the soup! This was incredibly easy to make. So with out further ado here is the recipe!

2 lbs red potatoes (I left the skin on but you can peel them)

1 lb. fresh broccoli florets, no major stem pieces

1 lb. fresh cauliflower, same as broccoli

1 lb. fresh carrots, peeled and sliced

leeks (optional), cleaned and sliced

2 TBS minced garlic

64 oz. chicken or vegetable stock

1 quart half and half

12 oz. cream cheese

Chop all the veggies into chunks. It doesn't matter what they look like because it will all be mashed up later. Put everything except the half and half and cream cheese into a stock pot or a crock pot. I cooked mine on the stove for about 4 hours on low. You can also do this in the crock pot for about 8 hours. Then after all your veggies are soft take a potato masher and mash it all up. I did this right in the pot. 

Let your cream cheese come to room temp or pop it into the microwave a bit so that it's easier to work into your chowder. After you have mashed it all up add your cream cheese and half and half. Let it cook just until it's warm. You do not want to cook your chowder much after you've added the half and half because it will curdle and ruin your chowder. This makes about 15-20 servings depending on what size bowls you use. 

This does feed a crowd so this is good meal to invite some friends or family over to help you enjoy!

From my table to yours I hope you Enjoy!