Potato Cheese Soup (Dairy free option)

I'm always looking for more potato soup recipes to try. I came across this one and it was a big hit with my whole family! My son, Keith, was recently diagnosed as lactose intolerant. I'm not going to lie - this has been tricky, as I love me some dairy. I realized that this recipe worked out because there's a time towards the end where I can scoop some soup out into a bowl for Keith before adding the yummy dairyness for the rest of us. And Keith LOVED the soup - so it's a win-win! WARNING: This soup makes enough for a small army.

Potato Cheese Soup
INGREDIENTS:
10 pound bag of potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 bag of carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1 gallon water
12 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
Salt
Pepper
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1 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
3 pints from a combination of half and half and/or whole milk and/or whipping cream
1/2 tsp pepper
12oz shredded cheese

HOW TO PREPARE:
In a 9 quart pot (or larger) add potatoes, carrots, water, and bouillon cubes. Boil for ten minutes. Stir in frozen corn. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Continue boiling until carrots and potatoes are tender. At this point, the dairy free soup is finished. Scoop out however much you want and enjoy. TURN OFF THE HEAT.

In a large saucepan, add chopped onion and butter and cook on medium heat until the onion is softened. Whisk in flour. Stir in milk/half and half/whipping cream. Whisk until smooth. Continue cooking on medium heat until thickened. Once it has thickened, turn off the heat. If you have an immersion blender, then use it to purée the onions in the homemade white sauce. Make sure you remove the pot from heat before adding the cheese! Next, stir in the cheese until melted. Stir the cheese sauce into the pot with the potatoes and carrots. Serve hot.

Serve with bread, if desired. Enjoy!