I love to make batches of this soup for the freezer in October when we have an abundance of veggies from the end of season garden harvest. Nearly all the ingredients come from our garden with the exception of celery which makes this a really cheap meal!

I tend to throw in a few extra carrots and potatoes than the recipe calls for but it doesn't alter the flavor, it just adds more bulk. I will also throw in a bag of corn because we always have so many bags in the freezer.

You can make it dairy free by replacing the milk with a milk alternative and the cheese can be left out or replaced with a nice melty cheddar alternative. I would not use coconut milk as it alters the flavors quite a bit.

You can also make it gluten free by replacing the flour with corn starch.

Ingredients
1# hamburger meat
1 c diced onion
1 c diced celery
1 c diced carrot
2 tsp minced garlic
4-6 c chicken broth
2 c russet potatoes diced into 1" cubes
1 tsp dried basil or 3-4 fresh leaves
1/4 c flour
1.5 c milk or milk alternative
2 c shredded cheddar
1/4 c ketchup
2 tbl dijon mustard
salt & pepper

Instructions
Wash and cut all veggies. If I have new potatoes from the garden (the small ones), I don't peel those, I just cut them in half or thirds.

In a large pot, brown beef. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook 8-10 min until veggies soften a bit.

Stir in broth, potatoes and basil. Use enough broth to fully cover all veggies.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

In a jar with a lid, mix the milk with flour or corn starch and shake until well blended. Pour into hot soup and stir to thicken.

Add cheese, ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. We tend to prefer a bit more ketchup and mustard than the recipe calls for.

Place in bowl and enjoy.

This freezes really well so I usually double or triple the recipe for the freezer.