Comforting Cheese Soup

I made this soup for my Needlepoint Christmas and got requests for the recipe. Here it is before I forget what I put in it.

1 large yellow onion chopped

5 carrots peeled and chopped

3 stalks of celery chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 T. Butter

3 T. Flour

1 1/2 quarts of stock, I used turkey because I had it

1 bay leaves

2 cups half and half

1 lb of shredded fontina cheese

2 T. Sherry

1 t. Worcheshire

1 good squirt of shiracha

Salt and pepper

Put the onions, carrots, celery and good pinch of salt in a stockpot with the butter on a medium low heat and cook about seven minutes until tender, not brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the flour and stir to cook the flour for a minute. Add the bay leaves and the stock and bring to a simmer and cover and cook for twenty minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and purée the contents of the pot. You can do the recipe in advance to this point. If you want to save it to serve later, refrigerate this liquid, then reheat on medium to start the second half.

With warm stock/vegetable purée add half and half and continue warming it on medium heat. Once the soup has gotten hot, but never boiling, add about two ounces of cheese and stir waiting for the cheese to melt. You will continue to do this until all the cheese has been incorporated and melted. Add the sherry, Worcestershire sauce and a small squirt of Sriracha. Taste to see if you want it spicer and add salt and pepper as needed.