Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Each week I receive a delivery of organic produce from Door to Door Organics KC. It is great, on Sunday, I receive an email telling me what will be in my order. On Friday, my order arrives. For the past two weeks, broccoli was included. So, I found a couple of recipes for Broccoli Cheddar Soup, tried them out and here is the best of the two. It is actually, a combination of several recipes. My whole family loved it. I doubled the recipe and only had one bowl left for lunch the next day. I served the soup with a loaf of crusty french bread - we love to dip our bread in our soup.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar


Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half. Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Put small batches in the blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.