Reply #5: This really looks like one of those recipes that can be used as is or

[Stinky The Clown]

as the basis for "more". Thanks for sharing!

As I read it, a few ideas came to mind .......

Use stock in place of the water. I'm thinking canned stock. Veggie or chicken would be good. The idea of using beef stock doesn't appeal to me, personally, for this, but it could work, too.

Lisa had some great ideas with the cheese and the green onions.

The green onions could also be leeks. Very similar to a classic vichyssoise.

Garlic .... lots of it, chopped very fine or grated on a microplane so it just sorta melts into the soup.

Butter instead of the bacon and bacon grease at the start. Sweat the onions and let them caramelize as you suggest and follow the same recipe. Very different taste.

I enjoy tweaking recipes!

Thanks for this.