Broccoli Cheddar Soup

A slight twist on an oldie but a goodie. My recipe's below. It serves two comfortably, so if you're cooking for more than that I would double or triple the recipe. Enjoy!



Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients
1/4 cup of butter
1 medium onion (diced)
4 cloves of garlic (crushed or minced)
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
2 cups of milk or cream
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 large head of broccoli (cut into small pieces)
1 large carrot (grated)
1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese (grated)
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese


Directions
1) Lord, bless!
2) Melt the butter and sautee the onion until the onion becomes transparent.
3) Add the garlic and continue sauteeing until the onion is softened and has begun to brown.
4) Whisk in the flour and seasonings and sautee another minute or two. Be careful, you want the flour to brown a bit, but not clump and/or burn!
5) Add the milk or cream and stock - whisking to keep the flour and onion mixture from clumping - and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the soup from burning. (If you don't have time to do much stirring, you might consider replacing the milk or cream with water and then adding some milk powder to the soup just before stirring in the cheeses.)
6) Add the broccoli florets and pieces and the grated carrot to the soup and continue simmering another 20 or 25 minutes. If you like a smoother texture, throw everything in the blender after this second simmer.
7) Stir in the cheddar and parmesan until thoroughly blended and enjoy!