Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1. First you need to blanch the broccoli. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop the broccoli florets into the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the water using a slotted spoon and place it into a large bowl of ice water to cool. Then remove it from the ice water and set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and saute until almost tender. Set aside.
3. In a large pot, add the remaining butter over medium heat. Let the butter melt, then slowly whisk in the flour. Slowly pour in your half-and-half, vegetable broth and nutmeg while still whisking.
4. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and add in your broccoli, carrots, onions and garlic. Cover pot and simmer on low for an additional 20 minutes.
6. After simmering for the additional 20 minutes, use a potato masher, blender or immersion blender* to break up the broccoli until your soup reaches the consistence you like.
7. Mix in 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat until the soup is smooth. Then, serve! Use your extra 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese to top soup with.
8. Enjoy.

*I don’t have a potato masher, so I simply pour half of my soup into the blender and blend it until smooth. Then I pour it back into the pot and mix it all up.