Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

I have bookmarked this soup for sometime now and thought maybe the weather lately might be a good one to make. This recipe from Ellie Krieger's Comfort Food Fix: Feel-Good Favorites Made Healthy proved to be a healthy and yummy soup recipe. I think I really love this book already!!

 

Ingredients:

475ml 1% low-fat milk

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

90g lightly packed, shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 large head broccoli, florets and tender part of stems, chopped (6 cups)

1 litre low-sodium chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Method: 

1. In a small saucepan whisk the milk and flour together until the flour is dissolved. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the cheese and cook until melted, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat the oil in a soup pot over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
3. Working with about 1 cup at a time, puree the broccoli mixture in a blender until it is mostly smooth but still has some chunks, and then transfer it to another pot. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender). Stir the cheese mixture into the broccoli puree, season with salt and pepper and cook over a medium-low heat for an additional 3-5 minutes, until warmed through.

This is my 1st time making a soup from scratch like this. Obviously canned soups don't count :P And neither do chinese soups. I must say that this is nice and filling soup. It is definitely good with some roast chicken on the side. Mr G was happily slurping his soup and so am I. We are both satisfied people hehe

 

I'm submitting to I Heart Cooking Clubs - Potluck November.

 

I'm also submitting this post to Cook-Your-Books#28 organized by Joyce of kitchenflavours.