Basic Cream Soup and Variations

• 4 cups vegetables fresh, coarsely chopped
• 4 tablespoons flour, all-purpose
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups light cream (half&half)
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 x salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 x paprika
• 5 cups broccoli florets
• 1 pinch nutmeg or two
• 4 cups cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 cups lima beans
• 4 tablespoons bacon crisply fried and crumbled
• 4 cups spinach coarsely chopped
• 2 each egg yolks hard cooked
• 4 cups asparagus tendre tips

1. Peel the vegetable, if necessary, and chop coarsely.
2. Place in a saucepan with 3 cups of the stock.
3. Cook over medium heat until the vegetable is tender.
4. Set aside 1/2 cup choice pieces of cooked vegetables to use as a garnish.
5. Puree the remaining cooked vegetable together with the vegetable water in an electric blender, or press through a strainer.
6. Melt the butter in a soup kettle, blend in the flour, and stir in the cream.
7. Simmer over a low flame, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
8. Stir in the pureed vegetable and the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock, and simmer for 3 minutes more.
9. Adjust the seasonings and serve in individual bowls garnished with the reserved cooked vegetable.
10. Serve hot or cold.
11. Cream of Cauliflower Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup.
12. Garnish with reserved cauliflower and a sprinkle of paprika.
13. Serve hot or cold.
14. Cream Of Broccoli Soup: Peel the stems and break broccoli into flowerets.
15. Slice the stems.
16. Proceed as directed in basic cream soup recipe.
17. Serve with nutmeg sprinkled on top.
18. Cream Of Cucumber Soup: Reserve 1/2 cup diced raw cucumber to use as a garnish.
19. Cook remaining cucumber for 8 minutes.
20. Proceed as directed in basic cream soup recipe.
21. Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream in the center of each bowl.
22. Cream Of Lima Bean Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup recipe but do not reserve any lima beans.
23. Serve hot, garnished with crumbled bacon.
24. Cream Of Spinach Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup recipe, but do not reserve any spinach.
25. Serve hot or cold, garnished with hard-cooked egg yolks forced through a fine sieve.
26. Cream Of Asparagus Soup: Prepare soup as directed in basic cream soup recipe.
27. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips and Pumpernickel croutons.
28. Serve hot or cold.

vegetables, flour, chicken broth, light cream, butter, salt, cauliflower florets, paprika, broccoli florets, nutmeg, cucumbers, sour cream, lima beans, bacon crisply, egg yolks, tendre tips

Taken from recipeland.com/recipe/v/basic-cream-soup-variations-36600 (may not work)