1/21/2023 – Mary made this great soup that was rich and flavorful. She was inspired by the recipe here.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half and half
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups broccoli florets and stems (from about 1 head)
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
cayenne pepper to taste
8-ounce bag of “sharp” yellow Cheddar, pre-shredded (about 2 cups). Use extra-sharp next time
Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, graded, and Green Onions from our garden for topping

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, sliced broccoli stems, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Added salt, pepper, and cayenne. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Add the half and half, broccoli, bay leaves, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper, and cayenne, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until the broth has thickened and the broccoli is very tender.

Whisk in the cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle into serving bowls and top with more shredded Cheddar and green onions.

We added diced ham to each bowl and ladled the soup on top to make it a more complete and hardy meal. Served with our favorite bread from Publics.