Mixed Veggie Cream Soup

Here's another recipe from my best friend. She's the quintessential farm wife and she's always been something of an inspiration to me -- in the cooking department as well as many other areas. I don't know if this is a recipe she thought up herself or if it's from one of her recipe books, but I always credit her with this one.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Yields: 7 cups

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup  diced carrot
• 3⁄4 cup  diced potato
• 1⁄2 cup cooked ham, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup peas
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt (or more, to taste)
• 1  dash pepper
• 2  cups water (broth definitely adds more flavour!) or 2  cups  ham stock (broth definitely adds more flavour!)
• 3  tablespoons butter or 3  tablespoons margarine
• 3 1⁄2 tablespoons flour
• 2 1⁄2 cups milk

Directions

1. Cook all veggies except peas in water or broth until tender.
2. In a separate pot, melt butter and stir in flour to form paste. Gradually add milk and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
3. Add cooked veggies AND broth along with peas and ham. Heat through and serve.