Broccoli and Cheese Soup - Quick and Easy

Not all "cream" soups contain cream.  This one uses milk and broth  It is quick, easy and tastes rich and delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup minced onion or sliced and minced leek (white parts only, well rinsed)
4 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
1/2 teaspoon salt (If you use broth cubes, OMIT the salt until you taste at the end)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper or ground white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne (optional but very nice)
1 clove pressed or minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups vegetable stock or 3 parve chicken flavoured or vegetable bouillon cubes plus 3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and some set aside*
**Optional vegetables - see below

1 cup shredded cheese - I use sharp Cheddar

Garnish with croutons and serve with bread

Method:

In a medium sized, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onions, salt if not using bouillon cubes, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne and cook, stirring, until soft. Add the garlic and thyme (or other herbs and cook, stirring, for about a minute - keep an eye on it as garlic burns easily.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for a few minutes.  Slowly add the stock and the milk, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.

At this point you may be able to mash the broccoli into the soup if you like it with a bit of texture.

*We also reserve some of the broccoli and add it in just before reheating the soup.

Alternatively,  puree with a hand-held immersion blender or cool and puree, in batches, in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.

If you have optional vegetables (below) add at this time.  Reheat the soup over low to medium heat

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.
Top with the cheese and the optional croutons.

**I often will cook up some diced or shredded carrot and add the carrot in at the end, just before serving.  If you have a zucchini lying around, shred some of that up and put into the soup when you add the broccoli.  Zucchini has more moisture so you may need to add an additional tablespoon of flour for thickening

K (D)