Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

There was a totally awesome sale on broccoli so I snatched a bunch up. Then I sat there staring at it, wondering what I was going to do with all that broccoli. So I decided to whip up some broccoli cheddar soup. Holy cats it was good. Like so good I thought about making massive batches, bottling it and selling on the street corner. 😉

Ingredients

1 large head of broccoli, stalk peeled and all cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and cubed
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken broth {can sub out water if preferred, but I like the richer flavor it gives}
1 cup water
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil in the bottom of a large pot. Saute onions in oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.  Place 2 cups of broccoli florets in a small bowl and set aside. Add the carrot, potato, chicken broth, water, and remaining broccoli florets and stalks to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until carrots, potatoes and broccoli are soft.

Remove soup from heat. Puree hot soup in small batches using a blender {I used my Blendtec}. If you don’t have a blender lid that has an opening, you might want to remove the lid and throw a towel over the blender while carefully pureeing, otherwise the steam from the hot soup can blow your lid off!

Return the pureed soup to the pot. Add the reserved broccoli florets and simmer on low for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the cheese and sour cream and heat until melted. Salt and pepper to taste and serve! Enjoy.