Cream of Anything Soup

INGREDIENTS:
For a medium white sauce

• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp chicken bullion granules
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 cups milk
  

PREPARATION:

1. Melt butter or margarine in saucepan over low heat.
2. Blend in flour, bullion, salt and pepper.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in milk.
5. Return to heat and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
6. Let sit on warm heat in pan until vegetables are ready to add.
7. Place cut vegetables in another saucepan, add enough water to barely cover the vegetables.
8. Boil vegetables in saucepan until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful all the water does not boil out.
9. Mix the vegetables and the water that they were cooked in with the white sauce/soup mixture together. NOTE: prior to mixing vegetables and white sauce, you may puree part or all of your vegetables in the blender. Only use enough of the vegetable water to make the soup the desired consistency. Serve.
   

Note: The following recipes call for additional ingredients. When onions, celery, etc are needed, sauté them separately and add to completed white sauce. When dry herbs/spices are needed, add with bullion, salt and pepper in white sauce preparation.

Cream of Potato:

• 4 diced potatoes, washed and peeled
• 2 stalks diced celery, washed
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
  

Cream of Asparagus:

• 4 cups asparagus
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Dash of ground nutmeg or mace

Cream of Green Bean:

• 3 cups green beans
• 1 teaspoon crushed savory
  

Cream of Broccoli:

• 4 cups broccoli
• 1/2 tsp dry thyme leaf
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 bay leafs (added to white sauce and removed before serving)

Cream of Carrot:

• 2 cups carrots (about 6 large)
• 1 Tbsp dry parsley (add with salt, pepper and bullion)
• 1/2 tsp dry basil (add with salt, pepper and bullion)

Cream of Cauliflower:

• 4 cups cauliflower (about 1 head)
• 1 tsp curry powder (add with salt, pepper, and bullion)
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine (sauté in oil until soft and add to completed white sauce before adding vegetables)
• 2 green onions for garnish

Cream of Zucchini:

• 3 cups zucchini (about 4 medium)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg (add with salt, pepper and bullion)

Cream of Mushroom:

• 3 cups mushrooms
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg