Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

The weather is definitely getting colder and its a perfect time for soup. We love it for leftovers & works great to pack for lunch. This looks like a thick & creamy loaded soup. A pure comfort bowl.

The last recipe we blogged in 2015 came from this same web site and it was a KEEPER, we will see how this one does!

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour (all purpose, whole wheat or ap gluten-free)
2 1/2 cups less sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 cup fat free milk
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small
1/4 tsp kosher salt and fresh pepper
4 cups (about 2 heads) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
1-1/2 cups reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar
2 slices 2% American cheese
1 tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a chopper or mini food processor.
2. In a large soup pot, melt butter. Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add flour, salt and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.
   
4. Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil, then cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Add broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cheddar and American cheese, stir well and remove from heat.
6. Using an immersion blender, quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove about 1-2 cups of potatoes and broccoli, place it in your chopper, then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken it a bit.

Tupps Tidbits:  We did not have an immersion blender,  but it was still pretty thick with skipping step 6

Where did we find this?  skinnytaste.com

This past weekend, we enjoyed a nice hearty lunch on a cold day. We would consider adding a few spices next time, maybe some dry mustard or hot sauce, but either way, it was yummy and warmed up the tummy! It made the right amount of soup for 2 of us, not too big of a pot. Just enough for a few leftovers. KEEPER in our house!