Golden Carrot Soup with Mozzarella

Ingredients

1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped onion
3 cups (750 mL) thinly sliced carrots
3 cups (750 mL) water
1/4 cup (50 mL) uncooked long grain rice
1 tbsp (15 mL) chicken broth mix
2 cups (500 mL) milk
1 cup (250 mL) shredded Canadian Mozzarella cheese
Chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Buttered croutons:
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) bread cubes
3 tbsp (45 mL) butter


Instructions
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Sauté onion until tender. Add carrots, water, rice and bouillon mix. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until carrots are tender and rice is cooked. Pour mixture in batches into blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir in milk, season with salt and pepper and re-heat to serving temperature. Ladle into bowls and top with buttered croutons, Mozzarella cheese and parsley.

Buttered Croutons : Toss bread cubes in melted butter. Bake at 350 °F (180 °C) 5 to 7 minutes. Turn cubes over; bake 5 to 7 minutes longer. Makes about 1 1/2 cups (375 mL).

Complementary Wines: Chenin Blanc, Late Harvest Muscat, Marsala

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