Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Sorry I didn't do a Food Friday post last week, but the hubby was out of the country and things were a tad busy! Anyway, he made it home last night and all is back to normal! Thank you for all of your prayers!
A dear friend of mine gave me a bag full of broccoli, so I decided to make Broccoli Cheddar soup...one of my favorites!



What you'll need:
3 large heads of broccoli
4 cups of cream
4 cups of stock (I used turkey that I had frozen)
1 chopped onion
1 stick + 1 TBSP butter
1/2 cup flour (I used fresh milled)
4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 cups half & half
salt and pepper to taste


Step 1: Wash and chop broccoli and set aside.


Step 2: Saute' chopped onion in 1 TBSP of butter and set aside.


Step 3: Melt stick of butter in pot, add flour, and whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.


Steps 4-7: Stir in half & half until well blended. Then add stock (thaw first!) and simmer for 20 minutes. Add broccoli and onions and simmer 30 minutes more. This next step is optional...after simmering, you can puree' the mixture in the blender.


Step 8: If you decided to blend, add the mixture back to the pot and add 4 cups of shredded cheese and mix until melted. Then its ready to eat and like most soups, it was better the second day!