Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli and Cheese Soup
2 T butter
½ cup finely diced onions
2 tsp garlic (freshly minced preferred)
1-2 pounds of broccoli (fresh or frozen but I prefer to use fresh)
4 cups of chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups shredded cheese (can add more if you want)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven pot, saute the onions and garlic in the butter until onions are nice and translucent. Add chicken stock and chopped broccoli. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Note: Here’s my take on the broccoli…I normally prefer using 2 pounds as I like my soup heavy on the broccoli (It’s yummy yo!) I normally use whole broccoli, willing to save some change and put in the time to chop up the broccoli. The stems are good flavor and will add body to your soup while you can reserve most of the crowns or florets.

Once broccoli is tender, pull out the florets you want to keep whole for the soup and blend the rest using a hand blender or food processor until it is nice and smooth. Add the heavy cream and let it simmer until the soup starts to bubble and thicken.(If the soup is not thick enough for your tastes, you can thicken it easily by mixing together a cup of COLD water and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Add the slurry to the soup and let it boil for a minute or two. Just keep in mind that the cheese also thickens the soup.) Slowly add the cheese, a handful at a time, stirring until it is completely melted before adding more. Salt and pepper to your taste.

Cheese Note: You can use any cheese…just keep in mind you want a cheese that melts well and smoothly. One of my favorite cheese combinations for this soup is 1 ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar and 1 ½ cup shredded applewood smoked Gruyere. So yummy.

Serve with a little extra cheese on top if you are like me. Add some crackers and viola! You have a wonderful meal! You will get 4 to 6 servings out of this, depending on the size of your soup bowl.