Cheesy Vegetable Soup With Homemade Croutons

Each year our company has a cook-off to raise money for a local charity. This was this years winner in the "Progresso Soup" category. It is delicious!

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1  cup celery, diced
• 1  cup onion, diced
• 4  chicken bouillon cubes
• 4  cups water
• 3  cups potatoes, cubed
• 1  cup carrot, shredded
• 10  ounces  frozen  creamed corn
• 10  ounces  frozen mixed vegetables
• 10 3⁄4 ounces  cream of chicken soup
• 1 1⁄2 lbs Velveeta cheese, cubed
•  salt and pepper

• Croutons for Cheesy Vegetable Soup

• 3  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  onion salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  italian seasoning
• 1  buns or 1  dinner roll

Directions

1. For Soup:
2. In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
3. Add celery, onion and bouillon.
4. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Add potatoes, carrots, corn, mixed vegetables, and soup. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
6. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese.
7. Cook, stirring gently until the cheese has melted and the soup is hot. Do not boil.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with croutons.
10. For Croutons:
11. Melt butter in the microwave and sprinkle with onion salt, garlic powder and Italian Seasoning.
12. Stir together.
13. Cut up sandwich bun and stir into butter mixture to coat.
14. Microwave 1 minute and stir.
15. Microwave 30 seconds and stir.
16. Microwave 20 seconds and stir.
17. Microwave 20 seconds and stir.
18. Pour onto something cool.
19. These crisp up best by making one bun at a time. Each bun makes enough for two bowls. You can use any leftover bun, roll, etc that you have.