Healthy Potato Soup

I'm getting a cold, yet again, this winter, so soup was simply a requirement.  This is a wonderfully easy crockpot recipe, and really serves as a base for a little kitchen creativity.  Even if you're a novice in the kitchen, this one is hard to screw up.

My recommendations for add-ins/themes: make it kick with cayenne and other spices*, make it hearty with ham or beef bits*, or make it a good old baked potato with some sour cream, cheese, and chives.

Potato Soup
2 1/2 lbs redskin potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 Spanish onion (really, any yellow onion will do, I just really love the flavor in a Spanish onion)
3 stalks celery
2 carrots, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups non-fat milk
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Dice celery and onions, place in crockpot.  Add in carrots, garlic, and potatoes, and chicken broth.
2. Slow cook on high for 8 hours.
3. After 8 hours, whisk together flour and nonfat milk.  Add mixture into the crockpot, and stir well.  Cook on high for another 35 minutes, or until the crockpot contents are boiling.
4. Dump crockpot contents into large bowl (be careful of the heat!) and mix with a blender until you have a chunky soup consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Top with any desired garnish.  We used parsley and Parmesan cheese.

*If adding meats or additional spices, add them in during step 1.  If you do not want the meat or spice flavor to be a central taste, and just want it as an accent, then add it in step 3 (make sure meat is already cooked, though!)