Canadian Cheese Soup

We had this delicious soup at Mom & Dad's house the other day. I enjoyed it so much that I made it for dinner tonight. The recipe is from the Lion House Recipes cookbook. Of course, like almost everything that Mom makes that I try to replicate, it didn't taste quite as good when I made it. Must be Mom's magic touch. But it's still a really good soup, and I like it because it contains hidden vegetables.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 qt. milk, heated
1 qt. chicken stock, heated
3/4 c. diced carrots, cooked
3/4 c. diced celery, cooked
1-1 1/2 c. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 c. chopped parsley

Saute onion in melted butter until transparent but not brown. Add flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add milk and chicken stock and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Chop the cooked vegetables very fine, or mash slightly. Add them to milk mixture. Taste to correct seasonings if needed. Just before serving, stir in shredded cheese and chopped parsley. Amount of vegetables may be increased if thicker soup is desired. Makes 10 servings.

I boiled my veggies until they were tender, and then I threw them in the blender until they were mostly smooth, but still had a few small chunks. Then, at Clayton's request, we topped our soup tonight with chopped green onions and cilantro. If I had any sour cream in my house, I probably would have added a teaspoon or two on top of my bowl, as well. Sour cream is good. This would be a great soup to hide some extra veggies in, such as pureed cauliflower or other pureed neutral-flavored vegetables.