swiss bernese soup

Don't you dare let this recipe fool you. The ingredients may look ordinary but the soup is absolutely delicious. I first made this soup at a soup class at Ricks College as a freshman in one of my first cooking classes and I'm pretty sure this recipe came from the California Culinary Academy. It seems appropriate that potato soup was one of the first recipes I made in Idaho. 

swiss bernese potato soup (soup class at Ricks College)
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, with leaves, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon each white pepper and dried marjoram
pinch ground nutmeg
4 medium smooth-skinned potatoes (1 1/2 pounds) peeled and diced
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/4 pound Swiss cheese, shredded (one cup)

In a 3-4 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned. Mix in pepper, marjoram, nutmeg, potatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat slightly, and boil gently until potatoes are very tender (25 minutes to 30 minutes).
Puree soup, about half and a time, in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to cooking pan.
Gradually blend in milk and reheat until steaming hot. Do not boil. Stir in cheese, about 1/4 cup at a time, until it is smoothly melted into soup. Taste, and add salt if needed. Serve immediately.