Maybe it’s because I am sitting inside our trailer in Bandon, Oregon while the rain is beating down on us that posting a recipe for one of my favorite soups seems so appropriate.  Could be, don’t you think? It’s not really cold outside, but it is wet! So even though it is just after breakfast, my mind just naturally drifted off to something warm and delicious, and the first thing I thought about was this James Beard classic.

I found this recipe many years ago when I was looking for a perfect first course soup. And “perfect” is the one word that describes this soup to a tee. I didn’t change a thing from Mr. Beard’s recipe. Why would I want to mess with perfection? So do yourself a favor and make this soup next time it is raining and you are in need of a little comfort. This will do the trick.

• 4 T. butter
• 4 T. flour
• 2 c. milk
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 ½ c. grated Swiss Gruyère cheese (do not use domestic “Gruyère”)
• dash or 2 hot sauce (Tabasco or Frank’s)
• kosher salt
• Garlic Croutons, opt (recipe provided)
• fresh chopped parsley, opt.

Melt butter in a heavy medium sized saucepan. Add flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Whisk in milk and stir until mixture slightly thickened. Add chicken stock and mustard. Heat through. Remove from heat and add cheese and hot sauce. Add salt if necessary. Serve immediately garnished with Garlic Croutons and chopped parsley.

Garlic Croutons:

• 1 T. butter
• 2 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread
• granulated garlic

Melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently. When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cool and store in an airtight container. Use on soups or salads.