Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground turkey, lean
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 stick celery, diced
1 tsp. dried basil
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
4 small-medium baking potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Tbs. margarine
1/4 c. flour
3 c. milk, 1%
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt

Brown the meat in a soup pot, and make into crumbles as you are breaking it up while cooking. Add the onion, carrot, celery and dried basil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broth and potatoes and cook for another 5-6 minutes. In a bowl, whisk 2 Tbs. flour with 2 c. milk and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the remaining flour with a spatula until it almost forms a dough. Slowly whisk in the milk mixture. Bring to a boil, and then cook for one minute. Add the "cheese" and stir until melted. Add the cheese sauce to the soup pot with the vegetables and stir together. Season with salt and pepper.

You can leave the soup "as is" and have it a slightly thin consistency with chunks, or you can puree with a immersion blender and have it be a thick creamy soup. Both ways are pictured (chunky, above, smooth and creamy below and main picture).