Cheddar Broccoli Soup

I am really not a fan of broccoli. I've tried eating it many ways...in a QUICHE, raw in a salad, stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese into pastry, and in a soup.

I think food has to be better than "just edible", and for me, broccoli is "just edible".  I don't know why I always buy it. I guess because as I'm wondering the isle of my market with a shopping cart full of ingredients to make yummy sweets, I had to throw something green and healthy in there also.

On a brighter broccoli note, cheese really does make everything taste better. So please folks, load this soup with your favorite sharp cheddar cheese.  And have lots of crusty bread on hand for dunking. Cheese and bread now that's my kind of meal.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup

1 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
1 onion, diced
1 head broccoli, florets chopped and stems peeled and chopped
2 cups chicken broth or stock
2-3 cups half and half
2-3 cups milk
3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper

 In a large pot add the butter and onions.  Saute for a few minutes until the onions soften.  Add a tsp of salt and pepper.  Add in a heaping 1/4 cup of flour and stir, cooking for about a minute.  Add in the chicken stock and let the mixture come to a boil.  It should thicken up.  Next add in 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of half and half, along with the broccoli florets and stems.  Let everything simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Now depending on how thick or thin you like your soup, you can add more milk or half and half until you reached your desired thickness. 

After 20 to 30 minutes, and the broccoli stems are softened, give the soup a taste and adjust the seasonings if need be.  Pour half the soup into a blender and puree or use an immersion blender.  I only blended half the soup and left half of it chunky for some texture.

Add 2-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese, stirring to mix everything together.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with crusty bread and more cheese. Eat hot.