Broccoli Cheese Soup.

I've had a lot of broccoli in the house as of late. It's been coming in my CSA box, it's been coming out of my garden. It's been delicious, I've discovered steamed with a bit of lemon juice on it is yummy. Thing is, I picked up my box last night and had more broccoli to add to last weeks broccoli we still had.

Time for soup!

Broccoli soup of any form is a great way to use up a larger amount of the green stuff, say two CSA boxes worth. Make it a cheesy soup and that is even better. Makes it a soup my husband will eat up too.

In looking for an easy, lower fat recipe for a cheesy broccoli soup, I didn't find one that outright sounded good and made logical sense. I pulled from three or four different sources and just created my own recipe. In truth, this is for dinner tomorrow night, but since I doubled the recipe, there was enough for me to have a bowl for lunch today and it was good. Perfectly cheese flavored without overwhelming the broccoli and creamy with no cream. Delicious, this one may be a permanent addition to our dinner rotation.

Broccoli Cheese Soup



4 cup(s) broccoli florets
2 1/2 cup(s) chicken broth
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup(s) evaporated whole milk
1/2 cup(s) reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated
 

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the broccoli and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to cook until the broccoli is tender.

Transfer the broccoli and broth in small batches to a blender or food processor and process until smooth, set aside.

In the saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until softened. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the evaporated milk and bring to a simmer, allowing the mixture to thicken. Add the cheese and stir until completely melted then add the broccoli mixture back in. Allow to come back up to a simmer, stiring occasionally. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serves four at 4 points each if you care about Weight Watchers.