Creamy Reuben Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups beef stock
1 quart half-and-half
1 pound cooked corned beef, chopped
1 cup sauerkraut
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (such as Spice Islands(R) Beau Monde Seasoning)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 (6 ounce) package rye croutons

Preparation

Cook and stir onion, celery, red bell pepper, butter, garlic, tarragon, and caraway seeds in a stock pot over medium heat until vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Slowly stir flour into vegetable mixture. Cook on low until flour is lightly browned, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes.
Stir beef stock, half-and-half, corned beef, sauerkraut, seasoned salt, and black pepper into vegetable mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer until soup is heated through and slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
Stir 2 cups Swiss cheese into soup until melted. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with rye croutons and remaining Swiss cheese.