The ingredients that are in duchess soup are chicken stock or vegetable stock, milk or cream, butter, flour and shredded cheese.
The cheese in duchess soup is often cheddar cheese, but you can use other cheeses as well.
Variations of duchess soup also exist and can include carrots and celery and sauteed onions.
And some historical recipes of duchess soup also use crackers as a thickening agent for the duchess soup instead of a roux.
The key ingredients in duchess soup are chicken or vegetable stock and milk or heavy cream to create a liquid base.
A roux is then made from butter and flour, although some older recipes for duchess soup use crushed crackers instead of the roux.
And often cheddar cheese that is shredded is melted in at the end.
To make duchess soup, saute the veggies in a skillet, adding some salt and pepper
Melt margarine in a soup pot
Add flour and stir with whisk until flour begins to cook and then lower heat to avoid burning. (this is a roux)
Add chicken broth and then reduce heat and stir with whisk often until mixture begins to thicken, then bubble.
Add the water.
When that gets hot, add the milk.
Add the sauteed veggies into the soup.
When the mixture is about to come to a boil, add the cheese and bring back to near-boil.
Reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and let it simmer for about 20 to 40 minutes and stir occasionally.
Once you reduce the heat to a simmer, watch the mixture closely so it doesn't catch on the bottom.