Broccoli Cheese Soup

My husband really likes this recipe.  I’ve made it for years and it has become a winter-time favorite  for the whole family. Though I’m not typically a big fan of American cheese, it works well in this particular recipe.  You can either serve it in a bread bowl as I did on this night, or just ladle it up in individual bowls.  It’s a satisfying treat on a cold winter’s night!

Ingredients:

1 large bunch fresh broccoli, cut into bite size flowerettes (or you can use frozen, but fresh is preferable)

2/3 cup minced onion (or 1 medium onion)

1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)

1 cup flour

4 cups milk

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

8 ounces American cheese (10 individual slices if you use the individually wrapped cheese)

Cut fresh broccoli into bite-size pieces and mince one onion.  Steam together in a steamer pan until tender.

While broccoli and onion steams, melt margarine in a pan large enough to hold the soup.

Add flour to melted butter and stir with a wire whisk for a few minutes.  Continue to stir and break up clumps as much as possible.  It will still be mostly clumped together, but try to get all the clumps equally exposed to the heat so that the soup doesn’t have a starchy flour taste.  This will take 3 minutes or so.

Gradually add the broth, stirring with whisk as you slowly pour in the broth to dissolve clumps.

Add milk and continue to heat and stir to remove any remaining lumps.

Continue to heat until soup reaches serving temperature and thickens.  Stir in the cheese (it’s fine to add it in by the slice, no need to shred first).

Last stir in steamed broccoli and onion.  Add salt if needed and pepper to taste.

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1 large bunch fresh broccoli, cut into bite size flowerettes (or you can use frozen, but fresh is preferable)

2/3 cup minced onion (or 1 medium onion)

1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)

1 cup flour

4 cups milk

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

8 ounces American cheese (10 individual slices if you use the individually wrapped cheese)

Cut fresh broccoli into bite-size pieces and mince one onion.  Steam together in a steamer pan until tender.  While broccoli and onion steams, melt margarine in a pan large enough to hold the soup.

Add flour to melted butter and stir with a wire whisk for a few minutes.  Continue to stir and break up clumps as much as possible.  It will still be mostly clumped together, but try to get all the clumps equally exposed to the heat so that the soup doesn’t have a starchy flour taste.  This will take 3 minutes or so.

Gradually add the broth, stirring with whisk as you stir to dissolve clumps.  Add milk and continue to heat.

Continue to heat until soup reaches serving temperature and thickens.  Stir in the cheese (it’s fine to add it in by the slice, no need to shred first).  Last stir in steamed broccoli and onion.  Add salt if needed and pepper to taste.