Waid’s Cheese Soup is one of those foods that takes me back to my childhood. Growing up in a suburb of Kansas City, Waid’s Restaurant was a decades-old franchise where all the locals dined.
Waid’s started as a family owned business in 1953 and grew to at least 14 restaurants The restaurants were known for their comfort food — hot turkey sandwiches with house-made gravy, country fried steak, peanut butter pie and custard cups among the choices. They were also known for their hometown Midwestern hospitality and tenured staff.
The restaurant chain was a hometown landmark. It was common to see grandparents treating their grandchildren to dine out. It was the type of establishment that some patrons ate at three times a day. Unfortunately, they closed their last location on August 30, 2013.
One of our family’s favorite dishes was Waid’s Cheese Soup. All their recipes were secret as would be expected. Luckily, I was able to come across an old recipe for their famous cheese soup.
As kids, the soup was a huge treat because we thought it was chocked full of cheddar cheese. Little did I know that it was made from a roux. I also didn’t realize that the use of so much cheese would have been cost-prohibitive.
Making Waid’s Cheese Soup
The recipe takes about 20 minutes to make and another 30 to cook. Start by mincing green pepper, onion, celery and combining them with the consommé and pepper in saucepan. Heat to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
While the base simmers, make a roux by melting margarine (I prefer butter) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and cornstarch and blend them until they are smooth. Cook the butter, flour and cornstarch mixture, stirring frequently, until mixture is golden.
Add the roux to the saucepan and whisk it until smooth. Continue whisking the mixture until the soup thickens. Finally, blend in the milk and cheese. Simmer the soup, stirring constantly, until cheese is fully melted and smooth. Serve hot with Saltine crackers (like Waid’s used to do) or with croutons.
Optionally, you can add steamed broccoli florets to the soup.
Waid’s Restaurant Cheese Soup
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- 1 quart consommé
- ¼ cup green pepper – minced
- ¼ cup onion – minced
- ¼ cup celery – minced
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 4 tablespoons margarine ((I prefer real butter))
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounces shredded sharp process American cheese
- 2 cups broccoli florets (steamed (optional))
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine consommé, green pepper, onion, celery and pepper in saucepan. Heat to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile make a roux by melting margarine in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and cornstarch; blend until smooth. Cook butter, flour and cornstarch mixture, stirring frequently, until mixture is golden.
- Add roux to the saucepan and whisk until smooth; cook, stirring with whisk, until soup is thickened. Blend in milk and cheese. Simmer, stirring constantly, until cheese is fully melted and smooth. Optional: Add steamed broccoli.
Notes
NUTRITION
See more soup recipes here.
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