Dylan's Potato, Carrot, and Cheddar Soup

My daughter Dylan (age 5) is the light of my life. She is smart, funny, and very creative. I try to encourage her as much as I can. Last week, Dylan told me she had an idea for soup. She wanted to make a soup with carrots, potatoes, cheese, and a little parsley. We had the good fortune to be at Seattle's Pike Place Market over the weekend and bought all the yummy ingredients fresh. The soup was absolutely delicious so I just had to share! Here's her recipe. Of course you can use fresh onion, fresh garlic, etc. However, I really wanted to stay true to my daughter's vision. The soup was wonderful, so I'm glad that I resisted the temptation to add a few things here and there. Enjoy!

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 435 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 pinch Salt, to taste
• 6 yellow potatoes, cubed
• 1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth (such as Swanson®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat; cook and stir the potatoes and carrots in the hot oil until hot, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pour the chicken broth over the mixture; continue cooking until the potatoes and carrots are soft, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Step 2

Pour about half of the potato-and-carrot mixture into a blender. Hold the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Return the pureed soup to the pot. Stir the Cheddar cheese into the soup until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with parsley to serve.