Asparagus (Or Broccoli) And Fontina Cheese Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
2 teaspoons chicken soup base (Knoor or good, low sodium bouillon)
4 cups chicken broth (low sodium, I use 1 box of Swanson ORGANIC, much better flavor)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled, chopped
2 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed of tough parts, chopped to bite-sized pieces (or broccoli)
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 lb Fontina cheese, cubed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation

Melt butter & oil in heavy cooking pot, over med-high heat. Saute onions and celery until tender (~4 min.). Add garlic and saute ~30 seconds (don't scorch - gets bitter). Add flour, stirring constantly for 1 minute, to cook out raw flour taste. Add water, broth, and Knoor soup base (or substitute bouillon). Stir until smooth. Bring to a gentle boil. Boil for 2 minutes to set the thickening.
Add diced potatoes, chopped asparagus (or broccoli), salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to med-LOW and simmer for ~25 minutes.
Puree about 3/4 of the soup in a blender in small batches. (Hot soup expands when blended, so fill blender only about 2/3 way full!). I place batches in an intermediary large Pyrex bowl to hold until returning to pot.
Return blended soup to pot. Stir in half-and-half, soy, and cheeses. Simmer (do NOT BOIL) 5-10 more minutes - stirring often, then taste for seasonings (probably needs a bit more pepper, doubtful it needs more salt - cheese, soup base, and broth are already somewhat salted).