Broccoli Cheddar Soup

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and let sweat until tender, about 3 minutes.

Add the potatoes. They will immediately soak up the oil and moisture in the pot, so I like to add about ¼ cup of water to keep things moist and to stir up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Sprinkle the onions and potatoes with a bit of kosher salt and stir to combine. Add the broccoli and stir to combine. Add the stock to the pot.

Put a lid on the pot and turn the heat to low. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender. (Now I chose the hand blender instead of the big blender because I liked that the soup was NOT velvety smooth. With the hand blender, you still get some texture left behind. When I eat the soup, there are still the little crunchy broccoli florets that crunch in your teeth—I like that!)

With a whisk, add the cheese and whisk until the cheese has melted. This is the time to season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve hot with a bit of shredded cheese and chives or parsley for garnish.

Enjoy!