What you need,
½ cup butter (I used salted as always!)
1 small onion, finely diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 cups half and half
4 large heads of broccoli, chopped into small bite sized pieces
(this works out to be about 6 good cups of chopped broccoli)
Pinch of nutmeg
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
In a large soup pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add
the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Sprinkle
the flour over the sautéed onion, stir for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk and half and half. Season the soup
at this point with a pinch of nutmeg, salt and a good amount of freshly cracked
black pepper.
Add the broccoli. Cover the pot and reduce to medium low.
Cook for 20 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.
I used my immersion blender at this point to puree the soup
just a little bit. I wanted some good pieces of broccoli left in the soup so I
just did a few passes with the blender. You can puree it as much as you like!
Stir in the cheese a handful at a time until it is fully
melted.
Add the broth and stir to fully combine. Heat the soup for another
10 minutes until totally warmed through.
Adjust the seasoning to your taste!
Serve piping hot.
Jen of My Tiny Oven
