Creamy Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Kaylee ate a broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl at Panera Bread one time and then proceeded to beg and beg me to make some.  I made my Whole Wheat Bread Bowls, then found a couple of recipes for broccoli cheese soup and combined them.  At the end, I blended the entire soup, but we didn’t like the consistency.  Doing it again, I’d maybe blend half of it and leave the rest chunky.

1½ pounds broccoli
2 large stalks celery
1 medium onion
3 carrots
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used turkey)
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp Kosher or sea salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
⅛ tsp nutmeg
2 TBS unsalted butter
2 TBS flour
1 cup half and half (or ½ cup milk and ½ cup heavy cream)
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

Sharp knife and cutting board
Measuring cups/spoons
Stock pot
Skillet
Whisk
Wooden spoon.
Blender (if desired)

Chop the vegetables.

Shred the cheese.

Place the vegetables in the stock pot.  Add the stock and the milk.  Add the salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 10 minutes.)

In the skillet, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour.  Cook until bubbly.  Slowly add the half and half.  Heat, stirring with whisk, until the mixture thickens and almost boils.  Add to the vegetables.  Slowly stir.

Add the nutmeg.

Stir in the cheese until melted.

At this point you can blend the soup (in batches) until creamy, or you can blend half of it and mix the blended with the not blended (what I will try next time), or serve it as is.

About 8 servings.

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Very high in vitamin A Very high in vitamin C High in calcium High in phosphorus
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I would love to hear any feedback about this recipe. Did you make it? Did you enjoy it? Did you make any adjustments to it?

Hallee

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