Broccoli Cheese Soup

  

Broccoli Cheese Soup

  Today I'm going to share my recipe for Broccoli Cheese soup. I don't know why I've never shared this recipe before, because I make it a lot during the cold winter months. I have also been know to make it in the summer on a rainy day too.

     I found a recipe for Broccoli Cheese soup on the internet that was suppose to taste just like the soup one would get from Panera Bread. Well I've always like the soups from Panera Bread and so I decide to give this recipe a try.

     Now of course I have changed a few things about the recipe, but it still tastes great. One of the things that I do is I use my salad shooter to shred the carrots and the broccoli. If you don't have a salad shooter you could grate the carrots and chop the broccoli nice and fine to get the same results. Or if you have a food processor you can use that and get the same results.

     When I make this soup I always double the recipe. Everyone at my house loves this soup and if I only made one batch I would not have enough. It keeps well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. I don't think it has ever lasted in the fridge longer than 3 days. It always gets eaten right away.

     Well here's the recipe I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 T butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 C melted butter
1/4 C flour
2 C half and half
2 C chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
2  carrots, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 C Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
Saute the onion in the tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside.Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a pan and add the flour and heat for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the half and half stirring constantly. This is called making a roux. It is important that you keep stirring so as to not get lumps. Add the chicken broth stirring the whole time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for about 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should start thickening as you cook it. Once the vegetables have cooked add the cheese and stir until well blended.   

Serves 4