Creamy Stilton Soup

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups crumbled Stilton cheese
Snipped parsley

Cook onion, carrot and bay leaf in butter in 3-quart saucepan until onion and carrot are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and white pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.

Stir in broth and half-and-half. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheese; heat over low heat, stirring constantly, just until cheese is melted. Remove bay leaf; sprinkle soup with parsley.