Potato Soup

Yummy note:
I've made this soup several different times, and I think I've changed it like every time I've made it, but that's what great about this recipe! You can use the first part of the soup as a base and always switch up the other ingredients a bit. You modify it and make it to be a thick creamy soup, a cheesy soup, or a clear broth type of soup in a matter of minutes. Enjoy whichever way you decide :)



Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups ham, chopped
4 cups unpeeled or peeled potatoes (your preference), chopped
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
Couple of tablespoons leftover ham juice/drippings from the ham
*Note, I skimmed off some of the real fatty stuff first from the leftover ham juice and used a good couple tablespoons for flavoring. You can always add additional later on if you want a stronger flavor. If you don't have any leftover drippings, you can always add in another bouillon cube or two.
1 tsp parsley
1/2 cup milk
about 4 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

Easy add-ins:
Broccoli
Bacon
Cheese
Chives

Directions:
Add butter and olive oil into a frying pan, and add onions, celery, and carrots. Begin cooking for a few minutes. Next add in a handful of the chopped ham and about a tablespoon of the ham juice and continue to saute until the onions are tender. In a bigger sauce pan, add in the potatoes and add enough water to cover and bring them to a boil. Add in a bouillon cube. Cook until the potatoes start to get tender. Next add in a few more tablespoons of the ham juice to the water/potatoes, along with the rest of the ham and the onions, celery, and carrots mixture. Sprinkle in some salt, pepper, and parsley. Cook for about 5 minutes so the soup starts coming together. At this point, in a separate bowl, stir together milk and flour so it is smooth and can be added to the soup. Gradually add milk\flour mixture to the soup to let it start to thicken up the soup. At this point, you could add in cheese also to make it a more cheesier soup. Now simmer for about another 5-10 minutes until thickened. Serve with sprinkled cheese on top and a biscuit or bread on the side.