Garlicky Broccoli Cheese Soup

Take the cheese out of the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature as you cook (make sure to crumble/grate cheese when it’s still cold).

Heat a large pot over medium high for a minute or two, then add olive oil and heat for another minute (if it starts to crackle or pop, turn the heat down a tad). Add garlic and stir frequently for a minute or two, until it just begins to brown. Reduce heat to low as you scoop out the garlic, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible, because it’s now yummy and full of garlic flavor. Set the cooked garlic aside.

Return heat to medium and add leeks and a pinch of salt. Saute for 10 to 12 minutes, until very soft. Add potatoes and another pinch of salt, and stir for a minute to coat the potato and start to cook it a bit. Add broccoli, cooked garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, broth/stock and water. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The broccoli should be very tender and the potato easily pierced with a fork.

Add spinach and cover again. Cook until spinach is wilted, another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and blend the soup in batches in a blender or carefully blend it in the pot with an immersion blender.

Return blended soup to the pot over low heat. Stir or whisk in cheeses in two batches until melted and fully incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, garnish with any of the above garnish suggestions.

Notes:
1. The white cheddar is completely optional. It will add a tiny bit of extra cheese flavor and richness similar to a “traditional” broccoli cheese soup.
2. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, don’t fret. The quantities of cheese don’t need to be dead on. Just look at the total ounces in your package, and estimate based on that. For example, given a 12 ounce package of goat cheese, use a little less than half.