Canadian Cheese Ham Soup (Printable Version)

# What You’ll Need:

→ Canadian Cheese Soup

01 - 3 cups chicken broth
02 - 4 medium potatoes, cubed
03 - 1 cup celery, chopped
04 - 1 cup carrots, sliced
05 - 1/2 cup onions, diced
06 - 1 leek, green top removed, washed thoroughly, and sliced
07 - 2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
08 - 1/2 tsp pepper
09 - 2 cups cooked cubed ham

→ Cheese Sauce

10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
11 - 1/2 cup gluten-free flour or regular all-purpose flour
12 - 1 qt whole milk (or half-and-half/cream)
13 - 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (any variety or mix of cheeses can be used)

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Simmer chicken broth, potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, leek, salt, and pepper together in a large pot until the vegetables are tender.
02 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour to form a smooth paste. Slowly add cream, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking thoroughly until fully combined. Add shredded cheddar cheese and stir until completely melted, about 5 minutes.
03 - Stir the prepared cheese sauce into the vegetable soup. Add the cubed ham and heat through until warmed. Serve hot.

# Additional Notes:

01 - Regular all-purpose flour can be substituted for gluten-free flour in this recipe.