I wrote the method in kid-speque so your kids could help you prepare this soup!

Apple Cheddar Soup

1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil                    

3 Macintosh apples

1 cup (250 mL) chopped unpeeled carrots            

1 cup (250 mL) chopped leeks     

1 cup (250 mL) chopped celery                    

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh thyme, leaves only                

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh rosemary, needles or leaves only            

1/2 tsp (2 mL) cracked black pepper                

2 cups (500 mL) water                        

2 cups (500 mL) natural apple juice – to reduce sweetness you can use lower sodium chicken stock                    

2 cups (500 mL) lightly packed grated extra old cheddar            

1 cup (250 mL) evaporated fat free milk        

1. If your kids are helping you, it’s a great idea to prep all of the ingredients first.

2. Everybody go wash their hands.

3. Scrub the apples and carrots. Let drain.

4. Cut the tops off of the leeks just where the white starts to turn dark green. Slice lengthwise but not through. Rinse under cold running water to make sure all of the dirt is gone, fanning out the layers under running water helps. Let drain.

5. Wash the celery. Let drain.

6. Cut apples into quarters and remove core. Chop coarsely. Set aside.

7. Slice leeks into thin coin slices. Set aside.

8. Chop carrots and celery into ½ -inch (1 cm) slices. Set aside.

9. Rinse off the herbs – thyme and rosemary. Remove the leaves from the thyme and chop the leaves, set aside, discard the stem.

10. Remove the needles or leaves from the rosemary and chop, set aside, discard the stem.

11. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.

12. Add oil and leeks and sauté for 5 minutes. Add apples, celery, carrots, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.

13. Add water and apple juice; bring to the boil, reduce heat to simmer, put a lid on the pot, and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 20-25 minutes.

14. While waiting, grate cheese and set aside.

15. When the vegetables are tender, puree the soup in a blender about 2 cups (500 mL) at a time or until smooth OR using a hand held immersion blender puree soup in the pot till smooth.

16. Whisk in grated cheddar over medium heat until melted. Gently whisk in milk and warm through (do not boil again). Serve.

Makes 8 cups (2 L)

One adult serving is 2 cups (500 mL)

One kid serving is 1 cup (250 mL)

Courtesy Mairlyn Smith

Author of Healthy Starts Here

http://www.mairlynsmith.com/