Ham and Cheese Veggie Tray Soup

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     Not too long ago, a veggie tray surprisingly arrived in my kitchen. How do I recycle this food into something more useful? It was time to do a "make over." Since the weather has been down right cold, a soup was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the veggies. Carrots and celery are a great base for any soup, but now I had some broccoli and cauliflower to play with, too.
     After checking out the kitchen, I found leftover cubed holiday ham, cream cheese and the ever popular Kraft Velveeta. With these ingredients on hand, instead of just an ordinary vegetable soup, a party-sized veggie platter got a makeover into a hearty cream soup perfect for a chilly winter day.
 
Ham and Cheese Veggie Tray Soup
4 or 5  or so broccoli florets, chopped
4 or 5 or so cauliflower florets, chopped
8 or so slices of celery, sliced in half and diced
12 or so baby carrots, halved and sliced
2 T. butter
2 cup cooked ham, cubed
1-inch slice Velveeta cheese, cubed
3 cups chicken broth/base
small sprinkle of Kosher salt and black cracked pepper
1/4 cup onions, diced
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

Chop all of the veggies in the tray to desired size and dissolve chicken base in water. Set aside until needed.

In large pot, melt butter. Add veggies, salt and pepper. Stir often. 

When veggies soften, add ham just to heat. Slide cubed cream cheese into pan, mixing well. Add cubed cheese and stir until blended. 

Slowly add chicken base to thin mixture. Stir well to incorporate. 

Let simmer to blend flavors and warm 20-30 minutes. Serves 4.

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