Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Simply the most delicious bowl of creamy-broccoli-cheesy-goodness.  This is the perfect bowl of cold weather comfort food.  I'm trying things a little differently with this post.  I tried to take more pictures so it's more of a step by step tutorial.   At the bottom of the post I'll list the ingredients and the recipe the way I usually do.  Let me know if the pictures help!  Enjoy!

Dice onions & carrots, mince garlic & roughly chop broccoli.

Saute onions & garlic in butter until translucent.  Add flour and stir until it turns into a thick paste, then slowly stir in the broth until the mixture resembles a thick gravy.  Whisk if there are any lumps from the flour.

Stir in the milk and add the rest of your veggies.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add half and half and shredded cheese and stir until melted.  Use an immersion blender to lightly puree.  I still like a few small chunks of broccoli in my soup.

Serve with sour dough bread and garnish with more cheese.

Ingredients:

3 tbs. butter

3 tbs. flour

1 onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 large bunch of fresh broccoli without stems

2 small or 1 large carrot, diced

2 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups of whole milk

1/2 cup of half and half

2 cups of cheddar cheese (plus a little more to garnish)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large heavy bottomed soup pot (Dutch oven) over medium heat add butter. When melted add onions and garlic. When translucent add flour and stir for a minute or two until a thick paste forms. Slowly whisk in broth. Add milk and the rest of the vegetables. Simmer covered on med-low heat for 20 minutes stirring every few minutes. When the broccoli is tender add the cheddar cheese and half and half. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Use your immersion blender to lightly puree soup until it's your ideal consistency. If you like a chunky soup you can skip the last step. Serve with sour dough bread and top with more grated cheese.  Let me know if you liked having the step-by-step photos!