Broccoli Soup

We had a bit of a late start today, well, to be fair, three of us were up early, ate breakfast, dressed, walked the doggie and played outside for a while, the head food critic however, decided to not wake up until 10:30!!! So, collectively, we were unable to get our day started outside the house until around 11, which at that time, most of us were ready for lunch. So we headed to Panera for a quick bite. I ordered a you pick too so I could share some of my soup with Little Girl. She like soup, but she's not always in the mood to eat, some days she eats a ton, other's she nibbles here and there. Unfortunately for me, she had her eyes set on my soup and devoured the whole thing, I only got two bites :( Since I had broccoli and carrots at home, I figured instead of standing in line to order another cup, I would attempt my own version at home.

Things you'll need:

Olive oil
1/3 cup of onion chopped
1/4 cup of AP flour
2 cups of whole milk
3 cups of broth (I opted for beef broth to add more depth)
Salt
Pepper
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 head of broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1 potato, peeled and cubed

1 cup Gouda shredded
1 1/2 cups cheddar shredded

Start by heating a stock pot over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Once the oil is heated, add your onion and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).

 

Add the flour to create a roux. Once the flour is mixed into the onion mixture, add the milk and stir until smooth. It will start like this. . .

 

Then, it will look like this.

 

Add the broth, bay leaves, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the rest of your vegetables and cook for an additional 20 minutes. You will blend them later, so the broccoli doesn't have to be minuscule.

I would have actually liked more potato in the soup, I made it with one, but if you like potatoes, try two.

The carrots added a nice sweetness to the soup.

 

Now, use your immersion blender to blend the vegetables until the soup is relatively smooth.

 

Add the cheeses and cook for a few minutes more until the cheeses are completely melted and mixed.

Now you're ready to serve!