It’s finally warmed up nicely here, but I realize much of the east coast is still encased in ice. This soup is great for warming up on a chilly night and, with the impending St. Patrick’s Day holiday appropriation, it’s similar to the creamy, cheesy soup at our nearby Irish Pub, but without the actual cream, cheese, or bacon.

Ingredients:

•  Approx 3 cups of unsweetened original almond milk (soy, cashew, hemp, etc.)
• 1 cup of water (tap is fine)
• 1 heaping tablespoon of flour (whatever kind makes you happy: quinoa, all-purpose, wheat, rice, etc. You could also use cornstarch, arrowroot or xantham gum, but I find that last one makes things…”squeaky.”) Alternatively, you could also just cut back on the water (above) and let the potatoes be the thickener.
• potatoes (You pick. No, I don’t know how many, that would depend on the size of the potatoes and how thick you want the soup. I’d say 3 large or 5 medium, or a sack of small, but again, up to you.)
• Onion (I used a white onion that was a bit on the small side so I used the whole thing. If you find one of those giant onions, you may choose half if you don’t want the soup super-oniony.)
• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped or smashed, etc. to your liking)
• a bit of “Fat Paulie” seasoning (Let’s say 2-3 shakes.)
• “shit ton*” of “Salad Sprinkle” (blend of chives, dried onion, parsely, pepper)
• 2-3 tablespoons of vegan butter or margarin (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 “no-chicken” bullion cube
• Several shakes of “veggie pepper” or fresh ground pepper
• Vegan cheddar shreds (I used Daiya)
• Vegan bacon bits (many are — just check the label)
• Chives (dried or fresh)
• Scallions (optional)

Make the soup and use most of the bag of cheese to blend with it. Sprinkle a bit on top with the facon bits and some chives or scallions if you have them.