Cheesy Chicken and Rice Soup

This is another variation of a soup I found from a friend on twitter, to a pinterest account, and on to the world wide web. (I swear things get more and more complicated.) The recipe looked really yummy but my family has a thing about celery, and I always like to throw in peas and green beans in my soups so here's what I came up with. It got a winning vote from my husband, but the kids haven't tried it yet (partly you know, because there's green things in it).

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Soup

1/4 of a small red onion, quartered

2 large handfuls of baby carrots

2 ribs of celery, sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

1-1/2 tsp Better Than Bullion Chicken base

Water

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

2 cups frozen veggies

1 can of green beans

1 cup long grain rice

2 cups milk

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Put the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and chicken base in the Vita-Mix. Add water to cover. Cover and turn on at Variable Speed 1. Increase quickly to Variable Speed 10, then High. Blend until smooth (30 seconds?). Turn off and pour contents into a pot. Throw in the rest of the spices and veggies, another 2 cups of water and 1-3/4 cups of milk. Cook on Medium-ish heat until everything is just about boiling. Add the rice and turn down to low. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until rice is tender. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the milk and the flour. Whisk together until smooth and then dribble into the soup pot while stirring the soup constantly. Cook for 2-5 minutes until the soup starts to thicken up a bit. Turn off the stove and add the cheese, stirring until all of the cheese is melted. Wait 10 minutes, then serve and enjoy.