Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love soup. Homemade soup is always better than store bought, you would be shocked at what chemicals and preservatives go into condensed soup! My all time favorite soup is Broccoli Cheese... oh man, it is so good. I've been using this recipe for broccoli cheese soup for the past several months and it is devine. I could eat the whole pot by myself! Try this recipe next time you are craving broccoli cheese soup, it should convert you from the canned brand!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 3/4 C low sodium chicken broth
1 small onion or shallot, diced
1/3 C all-purpose flour
4 T butter
2 C milk
1 1/2 C shredded cheese blend: Mild/Medium/Old cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, etc. (I use old Cheddar and Monterey Jack)
3 C chopped, lightly blanched broccoli

Directions:

Blanch broccoli pieces by submerging them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring chicken broth and diced onion to a simmer over medium heat, set aside.

In separate stock pot, melt butter. Add flour, salt and pepper, stirring vigrously for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk, this will create a roux. Whisk constantly until roux begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Add warmed chicken broth and continue to whisk until mixture is well blended.

Add cheese and stir until completely melted. Add in blanched broccoli. If you want the mixture to be thinner, add more chicken broth and stir until the consistency is to your liking. If the soup is too thin, continue to simmer and mixture will thicken.

Serve hot, garnish with croutons and a bit more shredded cheese!

*Optional* Blend finished soup until smooth using a handheld blender, or standard blender (IF you use a standard blender, wait until mixture has cooled completely).
*Try cutting off the top and scooping out the middle of a large bread roll and ladle soup into the bread for a delicious bread bowl.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit!