Ham Chowder

It's raining here today. That is good news. One, because I don't have to go anywhere. And two, because I can make soup for dinner! Soup is so much more appetizing when it is cold and rainy.

This is a soup that I started making several years ago from a recipe that used canned cream of mushroom soup and canned vegetables. I lost that recipe somewhere along the way, and have come up with my own version. My own version is subject to change, depending on what I have in the fridge & pantry. Today when I made it, I measured and wrote down what I used. You can pretty much use whatever vegetables you have.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 onions

8 cups potatoes, cut into chunks

2 cups green beans (2 cans would work, as well)

2 cups carrots, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup flour

8 cups chicken broth (I use bouillon and water)

2 cups diced, cooked ham

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp pepper

Sautee veggies and butter in a large pot until veggies are just about tender. Stir in flour. Slowly stir in broth and cook over medium heat (stirring frequently) for 5 minutes. Add ham, sour cream, milk & pepper. Heat over low heat for 3-5 more minutes or until heated through. Serves an army, or about 8-10 people. You can easily halve this recipe.

Note:

If you use fresh green beans, you may want to steam them separately for a few minutes before you start. The potatoes were tender long before they were.